Fire and Ice
by KieraPSI
Summary: The invasion of New York has been repelled, and Loki taken to Asgard for trial. S.H.I.E.L.D. turns to an empathic psychologist and suspected pyrokinetic to help them move forward. Could the multi-talented woman be just what the doctor ordered when Loki returns to Earth a broken god? Rated M for sex and coarse language - Loki/OC - DISCLAIMER: If you recognize them, I don't own them.
1. Chapter 1

Kara strode briskly from the university's library to her rental car. As usual, the visit to the research archives had been a waste of time. No one had gotten as far as she in identifying the genetic differences that contributed to paranormal abilities in human beings. Damn. Sometimes she hated being a trailblazer.

Her steps slowed as she noticed a compactly built, dangerous looking man standing by her car. His medium brown hair had a tendency to curl, and his dark blue eyes were sharp and cold. He was standing easily, his posture that of a seasoned martial artist - ready for anything. She stretched out her senses...he was anticipating, nothing more ominous than that. There was no sense of danger or overt aggression coming from him, just readiness. "Dr. Gunnarssen?" he questioned as she approached, and held up a government-type ID.

Kara's heart sank. The ID bore the logo of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. It had only been a matter of time before they investigated her; she knew that her activities would not go unnoticed forever. But she had hoped that their recent problems with extraterrestrial invaders would have put her case on the back burner. Apparently, no such luck. "What can I do for you," she asked, squinting to read the man's name, "Agent Barton?"

"We need you to come with us. All will be explained when we reach our destination."

"No, thank you. I have work to do. Have a nice day," she said, dodging around him.

He took a quick step back and to the side, cutting her off from her vehicle. "Sorry, ma'am. That was not a request."

She sighed. At least he was being polite about it. So far. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Agent Barton had led her to a nondescript sedan, typical of government agencies. That car had taken them to a heliport and a sleek aircraft that looked like a combination of helicopter and jet. Not so typical. A ramp dropped down from the back of the craft, revealing a slim woman with a dark red bob. Another redhead, lovely. She'd have to keep her own temper in check as this woman looked like she meant business.

"Welcome aboard, Dr. Gunnarssen," the woman greeted with a barely discernible accent. "I'm Agent Romanov, I'll be your pilot."

"Romanov? Not Romanova?"

The agent shrugged. "Most Americans wouldn't understand the difference; it's easier to use what they expect to hear."

"Ah. I understand. I get tired of explaining that my name is double 's' and an 'en', rather than the more common 'son'. But I'm too stubborn to just let them be mistaken."

Agent Romanov chuckled briefly. "It's not worth my annoyance. Of course, I rarely use my own name, so it likely doesn't come up as much as it does for you."

"No doubt." Kara lapsed into silence as Agent Romanov walked to the front of the craft, pulled on a headset, and began moving levers and hitting buttons. She turned as Agent Barton touched her arm and pointed to a seat with a harness. Sitting, she followed his example and connected the straps. The vessel lifted swiftly and she was pressed hard into the padding as it shot forward. Long minutes passed as Kara tried to ignore Agent Barton's assessing stare. She could feel a muscle begin to tick in her jaw as the pressure of his attention began to get to her. "Please stop staring at me. It's very annoying." He didn't respond, but he did turn his eyes elsewhere and she sighed in relief.

... ...

Hawkeye studiously looked anywhere but at their target. If even half of the reports on her abilities were true, he didn't want to piss her off. Even if they weren't, and she was asked to help them just with therapy for the rash of PTSD cases resulting from the invasion, he didn't want to alienate her...thanks to that misbegotten excuse for a god, Loki, he was one of many who could use her services. He glanced up to the cockpit where Nat skillfully guided them towards the waiting Helicarrier. Her instruments would lock onto and decode the carrier's guidance signal, enabling them to find it while it was cloaked. Clint risked a peek back at the doctor. Her red hair was a myriad of shades, running from the dark burgundy that the Black Widow sported, all through the range of reds and gingers. It looked like a living flame. Wouldn't that be appropriate? Hmm, the woman had her hazel eyes squeezed tightly closed and was rubbing her forehead. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"What? No...I..." Dr. Gunnarssen's voice trailed off as she looked out the front of the Quinjet. "Why are we slowing, there's nothing out there...is there?" She was blinking, frowning, and then cocked her head in what he would have called a listening attitude if there had been anything to hear. "I could swear..." her voice trailed off again. She looked confused for a moment more and then her jaw dropped.

He turned his head to see what had surprised her. The Helicarrier's docking bay was opening and the interior was now visible to the naked eye. Hawkeye suppressed a grin. Looked like at least parts of the reports were accurate. "Felt the people, huh?" he asked.

The doctor frowned at him. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked, sounding as annoyed as she looked.

He let the grin emerge. "Not a thing, Doc."

... ...

Kara seethed as she was led down a complex system of corridors in the huge airship. She'd managed to betray herself, at least a bit. But that was all they were getting. There were a lot of sensitives out there. They made an abrupt turn into a conference room where a bald man of African ancestry stood, hands clasped behind his back, a black patch covering his left eye. "Dr. Gunnarssen," he began. "I'm Director Fury, thank you for consenting to visit us."

Another bit of politeness that she wasn't inclined to accept. "I wasn't aware that I was given an option to refuse."

Director Fury ignored her comment and gestured to a chair. "Please, have a seat. You've met Agents Barton and Romanov, I trust?" She nodded and he directed her attention to a man already seated at the table. "This is Dr. Banner; he'll be sitting in on this meeting."

She frowned at the scientist. Of course she had heard of him. Everyone in the scientific community was talking about his work with genetics and gamma radiation...particularly after the accident several years back. He sat there, smiling amiably, his deep brown hair tousled and his wire-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose. He looked every inch the absent minded professor. Nodding, she held out her hand to him. "Dr. Banner, a pleasure...even under the circumstances."

His smile widened as he took it. "Likewise. I enjoyed your paper on chromosomal irregularities. It was very insightful."

Fury cleared his throat. "Let's get down to business." Kara sighed and dropped into the indicated seat and folded her hands in her lap. She still was not picking up anything worthwhile from any of them. Someone had taught them shielding techniques and had taught them well. Oh, wait. She glanced down the table and saw a small device with a red LED. They were using some sort of energy disruption signal. The director followed her gaze and smiled grimly, his one eye narrowing. "So, Dr. Gunnarssen, we've been...aware of you for quite some time. Your recent work with veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has made a singular impression with the Division."

Wait...this wasn't about her abilities, it was about her therapy results? "I-I'm flattered that my work has been noticed."

"Noticed, discussed and speculated about. The suicide rate in your patients is dramatically lower than the average rate among highly at-risk individuals receiving such therapy. We're wondering if your unique abilities are responsible."

Damn. "I don't know what..."

"Don't go there, doctor. As an organization whose mission affects global security, we have access to your sealed juvenile records. Unfortunately, a lot of what is in those records is rumor, supposition, and a very few eye-witness but circumstantial reports. We need the facts. First, are you or are you not an empath?"

Kara sighed. "I am a highly sensitive empath, and yes, that helps immensely in my therapy sessions."

"Good, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" She glowered at him. "Next, are you, or are you not a projective empath?" Kara compressed her lips and stared straight ahead. The director sighed. "Don't want to answer. Okay, I can understand your reluctance. How about this one? Are you, or are you not a pyrokinetic?"

... ...

"What would make you think any such thing?" Dr. Gunnarssen countered.

Fury bit back a grin. Now they were getting somewhere. "Doctor, in addition to your juvie files we have eyewitness reports from CDF firefighters. During wildfires in various parts of California over the past few years, backfires have mysteriously started, burned a sufficient amount of scrub and tall grasses to form a fuel-free border to prevent the spread of an encroaching wildfire to residential areas, and then have just as mysteriously been extinguished. There was no evidence of either an accelerant or any fire-extinguishing material at any of the scenes. More to the point, a woman meeting your description, and in two cases driving a rental car that had been rented in your name, was seen leaving four of the locations."

Dr. Gunnarssen swore softly. "And I thought I'd been so careful." She gave him a hard look. "So, why are you investigating me? Last I checked, firefighting wasn't a crime."

Fury allowed his smile to emerge. "You mistake us, doctor. This isn't an investigation. This is a recruitment."


	2. Chapter 2

Frustrated voices sounded from around the corner from her office. Dr. Gunnarssen waved her last patient off and turned to watch for the arrival of the next. Assuming Hawkeye didn't change his mind about coming based on the conversation he was having with the Black Widow.

"What do you mean he escaped?" Barton asked Romanov. "He was in frigging Asgard, awaiting judgment and sentencing. How the hell did he escape?"

Natasha's voice was every bit as aggravated as Clint's. "They don't know. He was standing before them, wearing the manacles and the muzzle and Odin had the tesseract and the scepter on the table in front of him as part of the evidence. Both of the artifacts started to glow and Loki simply disappeared."

"Shit, Nat. He set them all up. Bet the bastard is having a good laugh right about now."

"I'm not so certain. Thor said he looked petrified when the glowing began. Besides that, if he'd planned it, he'd have taken the tesseract and the scepter, don't you think?"

"That was all part of the act…oh, hi, Doc."

"Clint, Nat. Problems, I take it?" Kara greeted them.

"Yeah, that son of a bitch got away from the frigging Asgardians. Sorry, gotta cancel our appointment, I need to go help with the search," Hawkeye told her.

"Do you? Natasha, do they have any evidence that Loki is on Earth?" Kara asked.

The Black Widow smiled. "No, none whatsoever."

"Well then, no sense in you going off on a wild goose chase, Clint. Come on in and let's talk about this."

"Aw, hell. All right."

... ...

Clint threw himself down in the soft armchair that sat across from Dr. Gunnarssen's favorite spot. He frowned as he sank into the deep cushions and then reminded himself to be glad she didn't use a couch like some shrinks. He watched as the doctor sat and turned on her recorder. "Session 5 with Clint Barton," she said before turning to face him. "How are you feeling about the news of Loki's escape?" she asked.

He groaned and then relaxed as he felt her project calmness to him so that he could think straight. The woman didn't waste time, that was for sure. "Pissed. How else should I feel?"

"Anxious, uneasy…perhaps apprehensive?"

"You mean afraid. I'm not afraid of that bastard."

She smiled. "No, but you are afraid of hurting your friends, and that is something he forced you to do."

"Him and that frigging scepter."

"But he doesn't have the scepter, does he?"

"Ah, no. Odin still has it."

"Then he won't be able to take control of you again. Doesn't that even the playing field a bit? "

He grinned. "Yeah, it does at that. Add in the new arrowheads that Stark made with the stealth technology, and I have a shot at nailing that bastard's ass. He might still be able to hear it coming, but if he can't see it, it will be harder for him to catch."

"Just don't try long range shots. From what I understand about sounds, he might be able to pinpoint the trajectory if he hears it and knows where and how far away you are. A shorter shot would have a much better chance of beating his reaction time."

"Been studying, Doc?"

"A bit, yes. Oh, and Clint, promise me something, will you?"

He sighed. Kara Gunnarssen was big on promises. "What?"

"Make sure he's either actually doing something wrong or is about to seriously endanger innocents before you take that shot. This shouldn't be about revenge for what he did in the past. That isn't justice."

"You don't understand…"

"Don't I? Three men are dead who will never see true justice for their actions because I reacted out of fear and pain."

"Christ, Doc. That was different. Those men were…well, you were being…"

"Raped, Clint. I'm not squeamish about the word. And yes, that's true. But no one deserves to die that way."

"I'm not so sure," he grumbled. "Besides, you've never done anything like it since. You haven't even accidentally set a thing on fire, let alone a person, in over fifteen years."

"True. They were the first and, God willing, the last people I will ever use that…skill on."

"Give yourself a break, Doc. You were twelve. You couldn't be expected to control what you did."

"Give yourself a break, Clint. You were under the influence of an alien artifact. You could hardly be expected to have control of what you were doing."

He let his head drop back down on the chair. "Touché, Doc. Okay, I promise."

"Thank you."

... ...

Kara looked up from her notes as her door slid open, she wasn't expecting another patient today. "Nick, what brings you here?"

"You've heard?" the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. asked.

"About Loki? Yes, Clint and Natasha told me. Did you need something?"

Fury looked out her open door. "Thor, come in and meet Dr. Gunnarssen."

Kara watched the Norse god of Thunder walk into her office. He looked…defeated. Felt that way, too. She stood to greet the tall muscular blonde. "I'm glad to meet you," she began. "Though I do wish it were under happier circumstances."

He managed a small polite smile. "As do I, my lady…uh, doctor," he said. "I am told you may be able to help my brother, is this true?"

She looked sharply at Fury. Had he really told Thor that? "Well, I won't know that until I actually see him in person. I can promise you that I'll try."

"Nick Fury has tried to explain what it is you do that is so different from other psychologists, but I fail to understand it. I much doubt your mortal psychology will much impress Loki."

"Hmm. What I do is a form of mind healing, Thor. I use a combination of projective empathy and Reiki techniques. It transfers both energy and emotions to the patient. If there is physical damage, it will speed the natural healing. If the damage is strictly psychological, it will calm them so they can think clearly and they'll often solve their own problems without much in the way of standard therapy. It's been very effective on S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and even on Dr. Banner."

"Then perhaps you can help him. I-I love my brother, my lady. I know he has done horrible things, committed terrible wrongs, but I ache for him." The Asgardian sighed heavily. "For many years he was lied to, and I also treated him harshly. I cannot tell you how deeply I regret my actions."

"He chose how to react to what I'm sure he saw as a betrayal. It isn't all on you, or on anyone else involved. Remember that."

"Doctor," Fury began. "I've sent all of the research and the video we have of Loki to your inbox. I was hoping you could review it and make a preliminary diagnosis."

She smiled. "One a bit more accurate than Bruce's favorite assessment? What was it? Oh, yes…'That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him'."

"That would be helpful, yes."

"Sorry, Nick. I've been reviewing the files, but as I told Thor, I won't be able to tell much of anything until I see him in person. That's how my abilities work. I can't pick up on his energy from an image."

"We'll have to arrange some kind of security for you, he's too damn dangerous for you to be alone with him otherwise. Unless you can read through the safety material in the drop cage?"

"No, I can't. But I won't need security. You know I can put anyone on this boat on their knees in seconds."

"I beg your pardon, my lady. You cannot do so to me," Thor said.

"Ah, but I haven't tried. Care to join me in the gym for an experiment?"

"Will it help my brother?"

"It will tell us if it is safe for me to try and help your brother."

"Then, of course."

... ...

Fury watched as Kara directed Thor to a spot at one end of the gym. The rest of the team currently on board the Helicarrier were standing at the other end, well behind her. "Ready?" she asked.

Thor shrugged. "I still do not understand what it is you wish to do."

"I'm going to make you afraid…absolutely paralyzed with fear."

He chuckled. "I wish you much luck, I fear little." He was still grinning when his eyes widened in terror and he collapsed on the floor, panting. "What in the nine realms?" he yelled. "Make it stop, sweet gods, make it stop!"

Kara relaxed and Thor dropped down flat on his stomach, still gasping for breath. He looked up as the doctor approached and crouched down beside him. "Just breathe slowly, it will pass in a second," she told him. Fury frowned as he watched her lay both hands on the Asgardian's head. Thor's breathing calmed swiftly and he moved to his knees and stood, then held out a hand to gallantly assist Kara in rising. "How do you feel now?" she asked.

"I-I feel fine now. How did you do that?"

She shrugged. "I took a memory of a time I was feeling extreme terror, copied the emotion, amplified it, and sent it to you. Apparently Asgardians are every bit as susceptible to it as humans."

"That might not help us with Loki," Nick interjected. "He isn't Asgardian, Thor tells us he was an adopted Jotun, a Frost Giant."

"Actually," Bruce Banner began from where he had been sitting quietly on a weight bench watching the proceedings. "That's not entirely true. When his disappearance was reported, I pulled our records and finished running the samples we'd taken. I'd set it all aside before since we didn't think he was our problem anymore. Fully half of Loki's DNA markers appear to be of the same race as Thor, the rest something else entirely. In the absence of other data, I have to assume the other fifty percent of the markers are Jotun. It's kind of odd, though. The difference between the two races is so dramatic, I'm not sure how a hybrid was even possible."

... ...

"My brother is half Asgardian?" Thor asked. Kara noted that the big blonde looked happy at the prospect.

"So it seems."

"Good. Then he is not the monster he calls himself."

Kara shook her head. "Why would he call himself a monster?"

Thor sighed. "The Jotun…the Frost Giants have been our enemies for millennia. They are savage and ruthless, much like their frozen realm, Jotunheim. Loki's biological father, Laufey, was their king and the most dangerous of them all. The Jotun are the creatures Asgardian mothers threaten their unruly children with."

"Oh, no. And he found out his heritage accidentally? That must have been a horrible shock. No wonder he's acting out."

"Acting out?" Nick Fury all but bellowed. "Doctor, Loki is directly responsible for nearly a hundred deaths, and indirectly responsible for another five hundred as well as several billion U.S. dollars in damages to Manhattan. I would call that something a bit more appalling than acting out."

"Calm down Nick, before I calm you down. You need to look at the scale. Whether he is Asgardian or not, Loki was raised Asgardian. He has a lifespan that makes our lives look like a flash in the pan. He is stronger than any non-augmented human, and is fairly indestructible. Did you never watch Star Trek?"

"Of course I did. But what in blazes does Star Trek have to do with it?"

"Remember 'The Squire of Gothos' episode where the powerful being called 'Trelane' was nothing but a naughty child?"

Kara smiled as Fury's jaw dropped in comprehension. "Is that how you see Loki?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. But that's a lesson I'm going to keep in mind if I meet him. You really must take the scale into consideration. We're talking about god-like beings with awful abilities. Yes, they should be more responsible with those abilities, but sometimes responsibility is a very hard lesson to learn. From what I know about Asgard, I'd equate Loki's actions with a series of schoolyard brawls. So, yes, he may just be acting out." She shrugged again. "That view won't make me popular with your team, Nick, but as a professional healer, I have to take it into consideration."

Fury started to speak but broke off as Hawkeye pushed past them and left the gym. "Damn it, doctor, I think unpopular is going to be an understatement."

"I'll go talk to him," Natasha offered.

"Thank you, Agent Romanov." Fury turned back to her and Kara sighed. "Hopefully that didn't just undo all of your work with him."

"I have a lot more faith in Clint Barton than you do. He'll be fine."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, I've got the new sensor adjusted. Let me get out of here, and we're good to go."

Kara watched Tony Stark as he came out from behind his Mark XIV suit of armor. He'd given up on two prototypes today alone based on their testing. "Tony, how did the old suit stand up to outer space and reentry, yet have critical failures when I torch it?"

"Damned if I know. It's driving me nuts," Tony muttered as he moved behind his new Vice President of Development and rested his hands on her hips. His former assistant leaned back against him.

"There is no oxygen in space," Pepper Potts suggested.

"There was on reentry. Why wasn't he a Tony-sized fireball?" Kara frowned. "Did you change what you coated it with?"

"Nope. Not unless you count Leviathan slime as a coating."

The two redheads turned to stare at him. "Uh, Tony?" Kara began. "From the files I reviewed, those things were built to withstand space travel and travel through a wormhole, AND then fight a war. Did S.H.I.E.L.D. hold on to the remains? Any fluids that you went through could very well be what made the difference."

"Son of a bitch." Tony ran a hand through his dark hair as his eyes narrowed in thought. "Pepper, do you…"

"Yes, Fury did have it collected and we're storing it, actually. R&D has samples and has been documenting the properties of the various items pretty much nonstop."

"Hot damn, that's my girl!" he said. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir. Contacting R&D for status on fluid analysis. Displaying on-screen now."

... ...

Kara jumped as a screen descended from the ceiling between them. "Convenient. Can you build me a TV that does that?"

"You already have one in your suite here. That's what you miss when you sleep at your workplace all the time."

"Excuse me. I've been seeing five patients every day for almost two weeks straight. Then I have to work on my notes, and don't forget all of the reports Fury keeps asking me to review."

"Tsk, tsk…all work and no play makes Kara a dull doctor."

She shrugged. "I've been taking leisure time. Pepper, Natasha and I have been terrorizing Nordstrom's and Macy's, not to mention all of the haute couture shops. I swear, the employees see the three redheads coming and pull straws for who gets to avoid us by taking lunch."

"Their loss, not only do they miss out on the company of the three loveliest women on the planet, they also lose commissions."

Kara looked at Pepper. "What do you think he wants now?" The strawberry blonde shrugged.

"What I want," the 'he' in question interjected, "is to have you blast this puppy with everything you've got and see if my last adjustment did the trick. R&D is nowhere near being able to identify half of the elements in this fluid, let alone equate them with something we can reproduce here on earth. I think we're going to be on our own with this for a while yet."

"Okay, but we need more dust."

"Say, what?"

"Dust, Tony," Pepper told him. "Haven't you noticed how clean this room has become after the past three tests?"

"Uh, no." He turned around in a circle and then ran his finger over several surfaces. "Okay, why is that?"

"Fire needs oxygen and a flammable material. Your suit is not flammable, so there has to be something I can pull in to burn. I've been using dust and other particulate matter floating or sitting around the room," Kara explained.

... ...

"Huh. I'll be damned." He frowned thoughtfully. "Jarvis, can we shake out some of the air filters to make some dust?"

"Of course, Sir. Access is three yards to your left."

Tony watched as a panel folded up on the wall by the ventilation screen. "Excellent." Stepping over to it he grabbed the two filters that popped out and carried them over by the Mark XIV and shook them out. A flurry of dust filled the air, making him cough.

"That should do it," Kara told him.

"Damn good thing, any more and I'm going to start sneezing." He joined Pepper behind the blast screen and watched as Kara Gunnarssen took a few steps closer to his armor. "That still spooks me, her getting so close. Why doesn't it burn her?" Pepper sighed. "I know, I keep asking…but no one ever gives me a good answer."

"We ready?" Kara asked, holding up her hands.

"Let 'er rip, Doc."

They watched in awe as the air in front of and around the Mark XIV exploded in a brief but glorious fireball. The fire extinguished itself almost as quickly as it appeared. Kara sighed. "Not enough dust to make it last any longer, but it does look like it held up better this time."

Tony edged around the blast screen. "True, nowhere near as much scorching. Jarvis? What was the interior temp on this run?"

"Sixty-eight point nine degrees Celsius, Sir. A human would not have survived. However, there were no critical functional failures."

"Back to the drawing…"

"Sir, there is a disturbance in Central Park. I believe you might wish to investigate."

"Might I? What's going on?"

"A figure appeared out of nowhere. Park Enforcement Patrol has requested an ambulance. The figure is male, dressed in…"

"Green and Gold?" Tony finished for the AI.

"And black, Sir. The man is reported to be unconscious and bleeding profusely." The AI's voice followed them through the building as they ran for the launching area. "The patrol is speculating that it was a fetish encounter gone wrong as the figure is wearing manacles and a muzzle."

"Oh, he's a fetish encounter, all right. Damn." Tony stepped onto the track that would encase him in the Mark X armor that he'd held back from testing. "Pepper, can you coordinate with Fury? Doc, you're with me. Time to see what you can do for Thor's baby brother."

"It's Iron Man!" chorused from below as Tony brought them in for a gentle landing. He flipped back his face plate once they were on the ground.

"Yep, that's me. Folks, you need to clear the area for your own safety…damn it, Doc, what do you think you're doing?"

... ...

Kara spared him an irritated glance as she dropped to her knees by the prone figure. "Checking on the patient, obviously." She gasped at the amount of blood that soaked the leather and laid a hand on the man's neck to check his pulse. It was there, but barely discernible. There was blood at the edges of the muzzle and dripping from his nose and as she leaned close, she could hear an ominous gurgling sound. "Oh, crap. Tony, we've got to get this thing off," she told him, pulling ineffectually at the muzzle. "He's drowning in his own blood."

"Seriously, Kara, he's dangerous. I don't think…"

"Do you want to tell Thor that you let his brother die?"

"Shit. Okay."

Kara looked up to see the armor fold in on itself and all but disappear. "Neat. But why take it off if you think he's dangerous?"

"I need my bare hands to remove that thing, plus, kneeling in it isn't the most fun thing I've ever done."

She nodded and examined the rest of the patient's body. "It mostly appears to be blunt force trauma, except for this area in his abdomen. There's a lot of puncture damage there. Doesn't make sense." She ran her hands above the area, scanning the organs for damage. "What the hell?"

... ...

"What?" Tony asked as he pressed both thumbs on opposite sides of the muzzle. A red light blinked five times and the device separated into two pieces. He pulled it off and jumped back as blood poured out of it. "Shit, this is bad."

Dr. Gunnarssen grabbed Loki's right shoulder and tried to pull him on his side. "Help me move him, we've got to get the blood out of his throat," she ordered. They turned him fully on his side and Tony tried not to gag as Kara forced Loki's mouth open to let the blood drain to the ground. "He's bleeding internally. We really need a medical doctor, stat."

"Will I do?" a familiar voice asked.

"Good timing, big green." Tony told Banner as the man dropped down beside them.

"What a mess. My other couldn't even do this much damage to him, what the hell happened?"

"If we can save him, we'll ask," Kara muttered. "I'm not so sure that's going to be possible. Bruce, what do you know about an extra organ between the stomach and the gall bladder?"

"Uh, he's got one?"

"He did, it's a bit trashed right now." She finished swabbing out the inside of Loki's mouth with the tattered remnants of his cape. "Okay, we can lay him back down. He's still got blood in his lungs, and that will have to be dealt with, but his nose and throat seem pretty clear."

"Hmm, blunt force trauma, mostly."

"Yeah, she said that already, green man, you got anything new?"

... ...

"Give me a break, Stark, I just started looking."

Kara groaned and stopped moving her hands over Loki's prone form. "We need Thor. I keep getting pulled back to this mystery organ. He's leaking energy steadily. It's got to be the key."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Tony muttered. "Hey, Point Break! Surf on over here, now!"

"What?" Thor asked. "Oh, gods, brother."

Kara looked up at the Asgardian. "Thor, he has an organ right here, between what we call the gall bladder and the stomach, what is it and what does it do?"

"You mean the meng mein?"

"No, the meng mein is a chakra, what I'm talking about is a physical organ."

"As am I. It is an organ that pumps energy about the body."

Bruce looked up sharply. "You have it, too?"

"Indeed. Do Midgardians not have one?"

"Nope. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we've just solved the mystery of why Asgardians live so much longer and pack so much more power than we mere humans," he told Stark and Kara.

"Can he live without it?" Kara asked.

"No, my lady. One of the few ways to kill us is to remove or destroy the meng mein or the brain itself. Even our hearts can be healed, given time."

"Damn. Then we've got a serious problem."


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't concentrate, there's too many people here." Kara Gunnarssen looked up as she heard a Quinjet come in for a landing. A leather-clad figure jumped off of the descending ramp before it had finished setting down and hurried over to them. "Clint, how long a trip to the Helicarrier or to the nearest base?"

Clint Barton tore his eyes away from the still figure lying on the ground in a widening pool of blood. "Half hour, give or take."

"He doesn't have a half hour. Tony, we can use your clean room."

"We can? Gee, Doc, nice of you to ask," Stark snarked.

"Get over yourself. Bruce, you have medical supplies in the tower, don't you?"

"Yes, the infirmary is fully stocked. You don't want to take him there?"

"No, his system is fully exposed with these injuries. They may be immune to most Earth-bugs but I don't want to risk it." Kara looked around. Clint was gesturing over two S.H.I.E.L.D. ground troopers who were carrying a stretcher. "Can Nat land that thing on your tower anywhere, Tony?" she asked with a nod to the Quinjet. "I'm assuming she's flying it."

"Yeah, I've got a helipad on the back face, opposite my launch area."

"Great. Let's get moving, people!"

She stood, keeping one hand on the downed man's abdomen as they lifted him. Jogging along beside him as he was carried to the Quinjet, she continued to feed him energy. Thor strode beside her. "My lady, can you save him?"

"Honestly, Thor, if we can't stop him from leaking energy, I don't know. I'm still scanning him and seriously hope something jumps out at me soon."

"Jumps out? What is in him that would jump out?"

Kara sighed. "It's a term…ah, never mind."

... ...

Tony Stark barked orders at Jarvis as he flew back to his tower, then grinned as Jarvis informed him that 'Miss Potts' had been listening in on his open communication and had already anticipated and implemented his instructions. He really needed to give her a higher title. He chuckled to himself. Or get his act together and propose. "Thanks, Jarvis. I'll thank Pepper when I arrive."

Pepper's voice came through the link. "You can thank me now. By the sounds of things you're going to be too busy to remember when you arrive."

"No joke. He looks bad, Pep. Seriously. If he were human I'd wonder not what truck, but how many trucks hit him. Since he's not, I don't even want to imagine what it took to do that much damage. If whatever it was gets to Earth, we're screwed."

"Thor taking it pretty hard?"

"Surfer boy is beside himself. Big Bad Norse god looks like he's going to cry."

"Tony, be nice. He loves his brother."

"I am being nice. I'm letting them get my clean room full of blood and guts, aren't I?" He frowned when she didn't respond. "Sorry, I'm rattled too, I guess." He touched down and stepped around the apparatus that would remove his armor. "Jarvis, I'm staying armored in case reindeer games comes to and decides to, uh, act out."

"Very good, Sir."

He flipped up his visor as he entered through the sliding door and made his way to the clean room. The Quinjet's engines were barely audible over the soundproofing once the doors had closed behind him. The reconstruction crew had done a good job. The elevator doors slid apart just as he ordered the clean room's doors to remain open. "This way, boys and girls," he called out. Pepper was standing inside the room, a worried frown on her face. "Thanks, beautiful," he said quietly and leaned over to give her a quick kiss. It was awkward in the armor, but he really needed to let her know how much he appreciated her.

Pepper blushed, whether it was at the public display of affection or the compliment, he wasn't sure. "You're welcome," she told him.

The troopers came in carrying the stretcher. Dr. Gunnarssen hovered on one side, her hand resting on Loki's abdomen. Thor was hanging over her shoulder. Bruce Banner was on the other side, holding an oxygen mask over their patient's nose and mouth. The broken god's condition must have deteriorated. "Damn. I can't believe it, but I'm actually feeling sorry for him."

"That's because you're a good man, Tony Stark," Pepper told him, reaching up to touch his cheek.

"Yeah, well, don't tell anybody. You'll ruin my rep." He looked back toward the door as Hawkeye and the Black Widow entered. Nat looked grim and Clint looked…conflicted? Weird. The troopers deposited Loki on the examination table and left, taking the bloody stretcher with them. "What next?" Tony asked the room in general.

Banner spoke up. "I'm going to try and stitch this…what did you call it?"

"Meng mein," Kara supplied.

"Right; together, and see if that helps."

"Sir?" Jarvis asked. "Dr. Miller and his trauma team have arrived from New York Presbyterian. Shall I direct them to your location?"

He glanced at Pepper who nodded. "Absolutely, put the elevator on express for them," he told the AI. "The head of NYP's trauma department, huh? You've got strings to pull I didn't know about?"

She smiled. "It pays to be nice to people at charity events."

... ...

Kara groaned as she felt the patient's energy drop even lower. She looked over at Thor speculatively. "Thor, how badly do you want to save your brother?"

"I would do most anything, should it not bring harm to another."

"Good, 'cause I have a crazy idea."

"Uh, Kara, is this as crazy as your experiments on my other?" Bruce asked.

"No, not that crazy. But you have to admit, that was successful."

"Sure, if you call trashing the gymnasium a success."

"But I brought you out of it, didn't I?" she asked. "Oh, never mind that now." Kara turned back to Thor. "Loki is not just losing blood, he's losing energy. I've been trying to push energy into him, but there isn't enough of what he needs in Earth's environment to do much good. The energy I'm reading from the meng mein is, well, unearthly. The only source I can really feel besides what little he still has is in you. I'd like to try to transfer a little of your energy into him in the hopes that it will jump start his ability to heal himself."

"I agree," Thor said almost before she'd finished talking.

"Crap, Doc, you could kill Thor, and for what? Him?" Clint muttered.

"I'm not going to kill Thor. Though it may hurt some, you'll have to lay down, Thor. Clint, I will stop before I do him any harm. I am not going to sacrifice the life of a healthy man to save one who may die anyway."

"Barton," Nat said as his face twisted and he opened his mouth to retort. "Let's go wait on the roof, you need to chill."

"Tony, we need another lab table, or an arm chair for Thor, he's definitely going to be woozy."

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Sir. Lab table to your right, four yards."

"Got it." Kara looked up as Tony rolled the table over behind her. "Okay, point break, get your godly butt on the table. I'm going to lose the suit, I don't think he's going to be trying anything any time soon."

"On your back, please, Thor," Kara added as several strangers entered the room. "If he does, Tony, I'll put him under. It wouldn't take much at this point."

"Someone call for a trauma team?" a sharply dressed forty-something man asked.

... ...

Pepper walked over, her hands outstretched. "Roger! Thanks so much for coming. Your team can prep over there."

"No problem," Dr. Miller responded. His team moved over to the prep area and began opening bags of what looked to be operating room wear. "So, who is our…holy shit. Seriously, Pepper? Isn't that the bastard that trashed Manhattan? Why in hell do we want to save him?"

"Because, Dr. Feel Good," Tony interjected in a sarcastic tone. "He's got intel on something that could make that invasion look like a kiddy parade. If he doesn't make it, we're going to be sitting ducks."

"Okay, good enough. Let's go folks," Miller said to his team, holding out his arms so they could pull a gown over him. "What is she doing?" he asked, nodding towards Kara.

Pepper considered how to explain it. "Uh, Dr. Gunnarssen is a holistic energy specialist. The Asgardian physiology relies more on certain types of energy than they do on the physical body. If the energy isn't restored, nothing we can do for him surgically will make a difference."

"Gunnarssen? Kara Gunnarssen?" he asked.

Kara was holding one hand over Thor's abdomen and the other just over where Bruce was working on Loki's mystery organ with an intent look on her face and didn't answer. "Yes," Pepper told him. "She needs all her concentration," she added. "And this is Dr. Bruce Banner, he's also a bit busy…"

"No problem. I've heard of them both and their work. What should we focus on?"

Dr. Banner glanced up. "He's got at least one collapsed lung, looks like a great deal of blood in there. If you could aspirate and inflate it, that would be extremely helpful. After that, take a look at his skull. I'm concerned about fluid on the brain, you may need to go in and relieve the pressure if Kara's treatment doesn't have a strong enough effect soon enough. Everything else is broken bones. Other than moving any rib splinters away from organs, I don't think we should worry about them yet."

"Got it. You heard the man, team, let's get busy."

... ...

Thor clenched his teeth as he felt energy being pulled from his meng mein. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt, but if it would save his brother, he'd bear it. He looked over at Loki's battered face. "Fight my brother," he said. "Fight to live, I beg you." Loki's eyelids flickered, he could swear it. "I think," he began then broke off with a groan. "I think it's helping," he gasped.

Kara Gunnarssen looked at his face. "How much pain are you in?" she asked.

"Very little," he lied.

"Right. Little, my foot. I'm sorry, I didn't think it would be this bad."

"I do not care, my lady. Did you see? He moved, just a bit, but he moved."

"Whoa," Dr. Banner said. "This is amazing."

"What's happening?" Kara asked.

"The areas I already stitched…the edges seem to be knitting together and it's pushing out the stitches."

"Try holding the other pieces together with your hands, leave off trying to fix it, let's see if it will heal itself now."

"Got it."

Thor tried to sit up to see what was happening and slipped back down flat on the table. "My lady? Is it helping?"

She turned to him. "I think it is, we've got some hope now, at least."

"Thank the gods."

... ...

Tony frowned as he watched over the trauma surgeon's shoulder. Loki's mouth began to move, it looked as though the man was trying to speak. He edged in closer and bent to listen. The eyes fluttered open and fastened on his. "Stark?" he gasped.

"Yeah. You need to relax, let the doctors work."

"Cannot. Tell my…Thor. Cube and scepter…" he faded out, then took a rattling breath and began again. "Cannot be near each other. Or the gauntlet. Tell Odin. Enemy can open…gate with them." Loki's whole body shuddered. "Tell them, swear it."

"Fine, relax, get better, and you can tell them yourself."

"Dying. Swear it."

"I swear I'll tell them. And you aren't dying, not if we can help it." Reindeer games had the nerve, and more to the point, the energy, to laugh. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"Your pitiful doctors cannot save a dying god," Loki choked.

"Shut up, and rest. I'll pass on the message to Thor and Odin, okay?" Loki didn't respond, but his body relaxed. "Thor, did you hear that?" He looked over at the other lab table. Thor was unconscious. "Oh, shit. Uh, Kara?"

"He's fine. He finally passed out from the pain, but his energy is already starting to regenerate. You can come around here and push him out of the way, if you don't mind."

"No problem."

"Look at that, Kara. The damn thing is almost whole."

"I see it. My crazy idea wasn't so crazy, admit it."

"You were right. Again."


	5. Chapter 5

Everything hurt; everything. He'd assumed death would bring an end to all sensation, especially pain. Perhaps he wasn't yet dead?

His eyelids felt heavy. Before trying to open them he decided to get a sense of where he was and what might be around him. The surface he lay upon was soft and yielding. There was a warm weight resting on his bared chest and warm breaths puffed gently against his skin. Another person was breathing more heavily above him and to his left. Scents of vanilla and lavender drifted to his nostrils. He forced his eyes open; it was a monumental struggle. He was so damned tired.

"Brother?" Thor's voice asked. Loki was too tired to correct him. "Do you wake?"

He tried not to sigh. "Obviously."

"This is glad news…"

"Why do I have a woman lying on my chest?" he interrupted. It was a woman; her face was turned toward him. She had an untidy abundance of fire-hued hair, arched brows and full lips that curved down. "Hmm, if I must have a mortal use me as a pillow, at least she's an attractive one," he mused.

Thor chuckled. "That is Dr. Gunnarssen. She is a great healer and has saved your life. Poor woman was exhausted and passed out while monitoring your condition."

Loki couldn't argue with Thor's assessment of the woman's abilities. He doubted the Asgardian healers could have helped him. The Other had enjoyed piercing his meng mein repeatedly with a thin blade and had twisted it around to destroy the vital organ. With that accursed muzzle, he hadn't been able to convince his enemy that his capture had been part of the plan and that he would have opened a gate for them into Asgard given time. He'd been forced to use all of his remaining power to override the dampening circuitry of the manacles and muzzle and transport himself elsewhere, anywhere he could reach so that he could try to get a final message to Asgard to prepare for an invasion. Message…Stark. "Did Stark tell you," he began.

"Yes. And I have told our father. The scepter has been removed from Asgard and the cube is under heavy guard far from the treasure vault. Father felt the gauntlet was too dangerous to move. Oddly, he would not tell me why."

"Not oddly. It's a temptation…I don't dare touch it and you should not either. It should really be destroyed, though I doubt it would allow such to happen."

"Allow? Is it sentient, then?"

Loki sighed. "Parts of it are. All you need to know is that it must never fall into other hands. Not even mine."

"After your recent behavior, my brother, I would not trust you with any kind of weapon."

"Good. And I am not your brother.

... ...

Steve Rogers twisted to avoid Stark's latest salvo. The unarmed projectiles shattered against the wall of the training area in a subbasement of Stark Tower. "Closer, but…"

"Yeah, I know. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. But if that ammo had been live, you'd have had a concussion wave hit you from behind and I'd have taken another shot at you at much closer range."

"True." Steve looked speculatively at the wall. "Hmm, yeah, you're right. I was close enough that it would have thrown me off balance. We'll have to call that one a tie, since we don't know for sure which way I would have staggered and if you would have hit me."

"A tie it is." Stark fell uncharacteristically silent for several minutes, then his visor flipped up. "Looks like our guest is awake, or was. Jarvis tells me Loki had a brief conversation with Thor but there's been silence since."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Find out what the hell he knows and then send him back to Asgard and hope they can hold on to him this time, I guess."

"Any word on Dr. G?"

"Jarvis, did Dr. Gunnarssen awaken?"

"No, Sir. She is still unconscious. I have reported that fact to Dr. Banner, he is not yet concerned."

"Ooookay. I guess we let her sleep some more. I wish the jolly green giant would let us move her, though. I can't see her being…oh, crap. Jarvis, what did reindeer…uh, our guest say about her, uh, position."

"He did not protest, Sir."

"Damned well better not after all she went through for him."

... ...

Loki frowned. He'd fallen asleep again. The woman was still nestled on his chest, but her face was turned away. As he tried to break through the lethargy that still claimed him, he amused himself by counting the different shades of red in her hair. There were at least six…very unusual. Perhaps she visited one of the salons that gave mortal women hues that were not found in nature? He'd seen some very strange colored tresses in his most recent visits to Midgard, including shocking pinks, blues and purples. At least all of her individual shades were found in those with natural hair. A rustling sound caught his attention. A glance to his left showed that he was being attended by the two natured human in his calm, weak form. The man was engrossed in a hardbound book. Loki ignored him and took stock of his recuperation. Oddly, despite the amount of time that had to have passed, he didn't feel the need to relieve himself. And something in that area pinched. He lifted the covers to look down and gasped in shock. "What…?"

"It's called a catheter," Dr. Banner told him. "It has two purposes. One, we can examine the amount and type of liquids you eliminate to ensure your kidneys are healing properly; they were badly damaged. Second, it avoids the need to worry about accidents since you weren't capable of using the facilities."

"Remove it, now," he ordered.

"Sorry. Until you're mobile it stays. Yes, I know," the man said as he started to protest. "There isn't a man alive who doesn't hate it, but it's necessary. As soon as you can make it to the bathroom on your own, we'll get it off, meanwhile, relax."

Loki fought to suppress his irritation. He needed these mortals, at least for the time being. And they had managed to save him when he had thought himself done. "Why does the woman still sleep?" he asked.

"She was awake when your brother left. Your healing is progressing nicely, by the way. It's amazing what a little bit of the right kind of energy can do. She checked your progress, transferred some of your energy into the areas that needed it most, and then collapsed again. I can move her if you insist, but she really wanted to stay connected to you in case you had a sudden relapse; she figures if you did and she was touching you, she couldn't possibly miss it no matter how deeply she slept."

He studied the woman for a moment and considered. "No, leave her. Her energy is restful." Loki turned back to the mortal. "And he is NOT my brother."

"Uh huh, just who you are trying to convince?"

... ...

Thor looked over at the bed as his brother stirred. Loki blinked several times and then looked sharply to the right where Kara Gunnarssen lay stretched out on the bed beside him. "Good morrow, brother."

Loki sighed as he turned to look at him. "Why was she moved?" he asked.

"She moved herself after examining you last. She seemed quite satisfied with your progress. You are cleared to rise when you feel up to it." He watched as Loki lifted the sheet, he knew not why.

"Thank the gods. That…yes. I feel up to it." He struggled to sit up and Thor compressed his lips in an effort to refrain from offering unwelcome help. Loki swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked at him with another sigh. "Perhaps I need assistance; where is the commode?"

Thor stood and held out a hand. "We can take it slowly," he said. Loki grimaced and leaned on him to stand. "Ready?"

"Yes," Loki grated as he took a careful step. "Why do I feel so weak?" he muttered.

"You were all but dead three days past; I am surprised you can stand at all."

"Hmm. Your healer's doing?"

"Most likely; I have felt her power, it's impressive." They made their way slowly into the washroom, and he helped Loki with the necessities. "Do you wish to bathe?"

Loki looked at the deep tub that was fitted with a mechanism that pulsed water through it while bathing. "That…sounds wonderful, yes."

... ...

Kara frowned. Her patient's energy was gone. She opened her eyes. The other side of her bed was empty, as was the chair that sat next to it. Voices murmured through the closed door to her bathroom. "Thank God," she muttered. She climbed out of the bed, slid her feet into her favorite moccasins, and headed down the hall to the shared kitchen for this floor.

Pepper looked up from the corner table as she entered. "Good morning, Kara. Everything okay?"

"Yep. Our patient is up and in the bathroom with his brother. I thought I'd grab a decent meal for a change." She pulled open the fridge and pulled out the carton of eggs, a package of bacon, the bread, butter and pomegranate jelly. "Hash browns would be nice, but I don't really feel like grating potatoes," she mumbled to herself.

"There's frozen. Just pop them in the deep fryer for two minutes."

"Oh, cool." Kara stopped to give Pepper in incredulous look. "Tony has frozen hash browns? Seriously? I thought he was 'if you can't have the real thing, forget it' guy."

Pepper chuckled. "He is. I, however, am willing to take shortcuts since I don't have a personal chef."

"Tony really needs to get off the fence and make an honest woman of you. He can't keep letting his loss issues get in the way of his happiness, let alone yours."

"What have I told you about pop psychology, Doc?" Tony snapped as he entered the room.

"It is not pop psychology, and no, I won't get off it until you actually listen. I'm stubborn that way."

"Yes, you are."

"Speaking of your issues, why don't I have a snarky nickname like everyone else does?"

"He came up with a few," Pepper said as she turned on the deep fryer. "He just hasn't had the guts to use them in your hearing."

"Aw, Pepper, you wouldn't," Tony mumbled.

"Wouldn't I?"

Kara smirked. "Oh, this has got to be good."

"Let's see, he started out with 'code red', then he progressed to 'campfire girl', and lately he's been referring to you as 'blaze'," Pepper supplied.

"Hmm. I'm not sure how to take that."

"All complimentary, seriously," Tony assured her, using his sad puppy dog expression.

"Uh huh." She smiled at the slight feeling of unease he emanated. "What did they put on my official record?"

"Uh-hmm; ask Fury," he muttered and dashed out the door.

"That reaction does not bode well," she told Pepper, who shrugged.

... ...

Thor stomped down the hall and pulled up sharply to avoid crashing into Captain Rogers and Stark. The two men stared at his expression. "I am done with him," he told them carefully, trying not to shout. "He may rot; for all that I shall care." He stepped around them and continued toward the balcony.

"Whoa, Thor, what happened?" Rogers asked.

"My brother has decided I am worthy only to be his body servant. I shall not take such disrespect, not even from him." He stopped and clenched his fists, wishing fervently that there was something there he could destroy to relieve his frustration with Loki. "I have left him in the bath. Perhaps he'll do us all a favor and drown."

"You don't mean that," Stark told him.

"Do I not?" He sighed. "Perhaps I don't, but I am heartily sick of his attitude. I will be in Asgard if I am needed." He turned and resumed walking.

"Hold up, point break. How the hell are we supposed to reach you if we do need you? I doubt there's cell service there."

"What?" Thor stared at them a moment, totally confused. Was it possible they did not know? "Call out for Heimdall. He will hear you. Tell him that I am needed and he will summon me."

... ...

Author's notes:

Yes, Loki finally made it into the story. Thanks for your patience! My updates will be slow now as mundane life beckons. I do have the rest of the story in my head, it's a matter of having time to get it typed. Thanks for all of the kind remarks and especially to BlooAngels for reminding me to explain why no one just calls Heimdall when they need to reach someone in Asgard. I've also gone through and corrected the hovercarrier and hoverjet to Helicarrier and Quinjet on all of the chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve knocked on the bathroom door and waited until he was given permission to enter. He glanced at the tub. Loki was leaning back, his head resting on the rim. He looked disgusted. Steve sincerely hoped the man was disgusted with himself, but he wasn't counting on it. "You really blew it with your brother, you know."

Loki turned to look at him. "He'll get over it. My so-called brother is worse than a beaten cur; he always comes back for more."

"I don't think so, not this time. He said he's done with you." Loki shrugged in response. Steve shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, you can think what you want. You ready to get out of there?"

"Yes." The tone was grudging and the disgusted look intensified.

"Okay." He looked around the room, grabbed a towel from the rack and spread it out on the vanity bench. "I'll get down there, you put your arm over my shoulder, and I'll stand and pull you up."

Loki frowned at him. "Keep in mind I'm a great deal heavier than you would think."

"Are you heavier than Thor? I can lift him."

"Ah, no. But my weight is proportionate to his."

"Got it, I'll expect that then." He squatted down beside the tub, and then stood once Loki had a firm hold on his shoulders. It wasn't easy, by any means, but it was manageable. He held on while Loki stepped over the high edge of the tub, then guided him over to the bench and reversed the process. "Okay, here're more towels, I'll leave you to get dry."

"Where are my garments?"

"Uh, well...they were pretty much trashed. Thor took your armor, or what was left of it back home. He said you wouldn't be able to fix it and that he'd get it rebuilt. Everything else was scorched and shredded." Steve shrugged. "I'm pretty sure they sent someone clothes shopping for you, but I'll have to check on that."

"Fine."

…

Kara walked into her bedroom, rubbing her overly full stomach and almost walked into Steve Rogers. "What's up?" she asked.

"He needs clothes. Did Miss Potts say if the order she called in was delivered?"

"When are you going to start calling her Pepper? She thinks you don't like her, you know."

"What? I'm just trying to be respectful."

"Then respect her wishes and call her Pepper. I know; that wouldn't have been appropriate in your time, but try, okay?" She moved past him and opened the door to the walk-in closet. It was cavernous and relatively empty. Despite her forays into the shopping district with her new friends, she hadn't bought much, and her original wardrobe wasn't particularly extensive. A few outfits that Pepper had ordered in for Loki, much to Tony's disgust, hung in the empty section, and other miscellaneous men's clothing articles were folded on top of the shoe cupboard. Kara grabbed a set of pajamas and hesitated over the underwear choices. "Hmm, I'll let him pick," she muttered and selected both boxers and briefs from the stack.

Steve was sitting in the armchair when she emerged. "I'll take it in," he offered.

"Just make sure he's covered. I want to have a word with him about Thor, at the scene of the crime, so to speak."

He shrugged. "If you say so, Doc." Steve pushed the bathroom door open and looked inside before turning back to her. "As good as he can get without clothes," he told her.

"Thanks, Steve. I'll call you when he's ready to go back to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kara smiled as she watched their WWII era soldier practically march out of the room. Next to the attitudes of the rest of the team, his polite formality, particularly with women, was refreshing. Her smile faded as she entered the bathroom. From all reports, Loki's attitude would be a far cry from polite. "Hello," she greeted. "I hear you're ready for these."

Loki looked up at her. "Why are you in here?" he snapped.

She held up the pajamas and underwear. "Bringing you clothing. You did want to dress, didn't you?" The temptation to stare at him like a blushing schoolgirl was overwhelming. On the videos she had reviewed he looked almost slight next to his brawnier brother, Seeing him prone and helpless had strengthened that impression. Upright and all but naked, he looked entirely different; he was actually muscular in the way of swimmers or runners. Loki was lean and hard and, despite the still prominent bruising, damn near perfect. This was going to be…interesting.

He sighed and she could feel impatience whip through him, followed by a cocky sense of superiority. "See something you like, doctor?" he asked as one corner of his mouth quirked up.

"No, not really." Kara forced herself not to react to the shock she could see in his narrowing eyes. She stepped closer. "Everything else seemed to be healing so well, but the bruising is still extensive." Shrugging, she continued. "I suppose I was expecting miracles there, as well. How do you feel?"

…

Loki stared at the woman. Had he mistaken her interest? Was it truly only that of a doctor for her patient? She was carefully examining the bruising on his back, abdomen and chest. "Well enough, considering," he finally managed. "I am still exhausted."

"Not surprising. You're probably starving, too. We did have an IV in you for fluids off and on, but now that you're at least somewhat mobile, you should have something more solid." She pressed gently against his solar plexus, just above the meng mein. "Any pain?"

"It's tender, but no more than that." He looked down at her slender fingers as she spread them out and then laid her palm against his skin. She crouched closer and Loki felt her cool touch at the base of his spine. The mixture of lavender and vanilla he had scented earlier returned. "What are you doing?" he asked as he felt energy emanate from her palms.

"Sending more clean energy into your solar plexus and base chakras to promote healing; there isn't anything more I can do for your meng mein without Thor. Driving him off was really stupid, you know. You still need him."

He grimaced. "I did nothing to drive him off," he said irritably.

"No? You didn't tell him he wasn't worthy to be more than your body servant?"

"I said no such thing."

The woman frowned at him. He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to comment. "No, but you implied it. And don't tell me that you didn't intend for him to take what you did say to mean what he understood. I can feel how satisfied you are over it."

Interesting, she wasn't just a healer; she was some sort of empath. The gifts were often paired in Asgardians, but this woman was no Asgardian. "I have no more care for his feeling slighted now than he ever felt for slighting me."

She stood and stepped back. "I was wrong. You're not stupid. You're childishly stupid." His jaw dropped at the insult. "Do you have any idea what he did for you?" she asked.

"No, but I'm certain you will tell me."

"Don't smirk at me. I'm already annoyed with you and you really don't want to piss me off."

He chuckled. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"A warning." She took a step back and gestured to the rather feminine décor of the room. "Do you have any idea why we have you in my suite? Tony does have a number of unoccupied guest rooms."

"So that the healer could keep a closer eye on me?"

"No. This suite can be locked down from the outside. The walls you see are a façade. Once the lockdown order is given, it's as secure as the drop cage on the Helicarrier. Well, without the drop feature, of course."

Loki stared at the annoyed redhead. "And why are you assigned such a room, my lady?"

"For the same reason they're not worried about leaving me alone with you. I may not be physically strong, and I'm not a warrior, but I can take down any of the Avengers." She turned on her heel and stalked out the door.

"Interesting."

…

"Steve, I blew it."

He looked up as Dr. Gunnarssen burst into the kitchen. "Excuse me?"

She sighed. "I swore I wouldn't let him provoke me, but his condescending attitude pissed me off. Doesn't he know better than to bait a redhead? Crap. Idiot is all 'woe is me, Thor treated me like dirt so that entitles me to treat him the same way'. That kind of bullshit just annoys the hell out of me."

Steve blinked, Dr. G didn't generally use bad language. "How is it you get along with Tony Stark?"

"What? Oh, it's not the same. Tony doesn't feel sorry for himself. It's people who have so much self pity they can't see straight that get to me. So, he was adopted, big deal. People took him in, gave him a life of privilege, and that wasn't enough. I…oh, hell. I just need to cool down."

"Okay. I'll go make sure he gets dressed and gets into bed." Dr. G had thrown herself down in a chair and was staring out the window at the city. He shook his head and headed back down the hall.

Steve entered the suite in time to hear a crash from the bathroom. A flurry of words in a language he didn't understand was followed by a very English "Bloody hell." He bit back a chuckle and forced himself to stop grinning before he opened the bathroom door. Loki was on the floor, wearing the briefs and had the pajama bottoms half on and half off.

"Can I give you a hand?" he asked.

Loki glared up at him. Started to speak, then stopped and sighed. "Yes. Damned floor is slippery."

To be fair there was water on the tiled floor, it was probably just enough to cause problems for a man who was already struggling with his balance. "Sorry about that. I should have looked for a floor mat."

The fallen man frowned fiercely, then shrugged. "I should have waited for assistance," he allowed, however grudgingly.

Steve nodded. Sounded like Loki was trying not to alienate him along with everyone else. Good thing. "Okay, why don't we shift you around so you can get both legs in those pants, and then we can get you up." It took some maneuvering, but the pajamas bottoms were donned and he got Loki up off of the floor and leaned against the counter. He handed the taller man the matching shirt and waited until it was on and buttoned. "Ready to go back to bed?"

"I'd rather sit in the chair for a while if it's all the same to you."

"No problem." They made it to the chair without incident. Steve sat down on the bed. "You've got Dr. G pretty upset. I'm not too happy about that." He waited but Loki ignored him. "Let me tell you a story."

"Must you?"

"It's a good one." He waited until Loki shrugged before continuing. "Once upon a time," he grinned as the other man glared at him. "Seriously. About fifteen years ago a girl discovered under tragic circumstances that she had a powerful and dangerous ability. Even though what she had done was deemed self-defense and the charges against her were dismissed, her parents were frightened and handed her over to a research center for containment. The girl, just thirteen years old, was experimented on for several years before she was rescued and taken in by a foster family. That family knew everything about her, knew she was dangerous, but they were willing to risk everything so that she could have a chance at a decent life. They didn't have much money, but they helped her get into community college and when she qualified for scholarships to cover more advanced schooling, they cosigned loans to cover the difference so that she could continue her studies." He paused.

"I assume you're speaking of Dr. Gunnarssen?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, I am. The point is, they owed her nothing but gave her what they could and she's grateful for the chance they gave her. So your attitude about your adoption really hurts her. Her foster family couldn't adopt her, her birth family couldn't be located to sign the paperwork. After she turned twenty-one, she adopted their name with their blessing." Steve sighed. "You don't have to love the family that adopted you, but you should at least be grateful they saved your sorry behind and gave you the opportunity to live a privileged life. People make mistakes, and maybe they should have told you before you found out for yourself. But think about it…maybe they were afraid people would treat you badly because of your Jotun blood and were trying to protect you." There was still no response. He sighed again. "Fine, wallow. I'll go find out what you're allowed to eat."


	7. Chapter 7

Kara stared at the half-empty carton of eggs. Thor had a huge appetite, but she wasn't sure if that applied to his brother, particularly since Loki was not at full strength. She shrugged and added three more eggs to the bowl. Being in recovery was all the more reason for him to eat heartily. The bacon was almost done. She could drain the grease and crumble it while the rest of the omelet began cooking. "Crap, cheddar or parmesan?" she wondered as she began beating the eggs.

"Uh, Kara? If that was cream, you'd have meringue by now," Pepper said from behind her.

"Damn." She looked down at the frothy eggs. "Taking out my frustrations, I guess."

"You think? Who...oh, is Loki ready for solid food?"

She shrugged. "I don't think he'd react well if I tried to give him broth."

Pepper chuckled quietly. "No, probably not. Did the clothes fit?"

"No clue. I stormed out before he got them on. Steve's in there helping him."

"That man has the patience of a saint. Well, unless Tony baits him."

"Tony would drive a saint to drink. He's lucky you don't do diabolical revenge."

"Ah, but I do. He won't disclose my methods of retaliation to anyone for fear they'll be inspired."

Kara turned to stare at the smirking strawberry blonde. "Inspire me, please."

"Hey doc, your patient is dressed and sitting in the armchair. Sounds like he's hungry, at least I guess that was his stomach complaining," Steve Rogers said as he strode into the kitchen. "Hi Miss...uh, Pepper. Did I get that cabinet in the right place for you?"

"Perfect, Steve, thank you." She turned to look at Kara, her eyebrow raised.

Kara grinned. "Steve, could you go move the table over in front of Loki? His omelet is almost ready," she told him. "Oh, and ask him what he wants to drink. He can have milk, apple juice, or water."

"Sure, doc, no problem."

Pepper nudged her as Steve did an about face and trotted back down the hall. "How did you get him to stop calling me 'Miss Potts'?

"I pointed out that he was disrespecting your wishes by not calling you Pepper. Dedicated military types are all about respect."

"Um hm. So, why can't I fall for a guy like that?"

"That's a good question. He's probably too safe for you, or too predictable."

"Tony Stark is predictable. I predict he will make me mad at least five times today. Of course, I also predict he'll make me laugh more than twice that." Pepper sighed. "How about you? What do you think of our Captain America?"

"I never really understood why so many women go for blondes. Also, the boy scout routine kind of bothers me. It's sweet, and he's a great friend, but it doesn't do it for me, you know?"

"And Bruce?"

"Nothing there, either. Sadly."

"Hmm, so no blondes or boy scouts, that leaves Thor out in the cold, too."

"Pepper, seriously. I don't want a man...or woman for that matter. I-I can't trust myself not to have a flashback and hurt someone in a, uh, romantic situation."

"You've helped so many people get past their PTSD, but you can't get past your own?"

"Pitiful, huh?" Kara asked as she scooped the finished omelet onto a plate.

Pepper hugged her from behind. "No, not pitiful. Sad maybe. And generous."

"Thanks."

...

Loki opened his eyes when he heard Captain Rogers enter the room. The man walked over to a table set near the large window, hefted it, and carried it over to place it in front of him. "I take it a meal is imminent?"

"Yep, hope you like omelets." The mortal frowned. "If you don't, I'd advise you to pretend. Dr. G is going out of her way for you."

He snorted softly. "What is in it, besides the obvious?"

"Eggs, bacon, and maybe cheese."

"Acceptable, marginally."

Rogers slammed his palm down on the wrought iron table's top hard enough to make it vibrate and leaned in close. "Sir, I really advise you to lose the attitude. We are doing our level best to help you, but you need to help yourself." Straightening, he sighed. "Apple juice, milk or water to drink?"

Loki decided a snide wait help comment would be unwise. "Milk and water, if I may." He watched quietly as Rogers spun and strode out of the room. Frowning as a thought occurred, he looked down at the heavy metal table and then took stock of the room's other furnishings. The bedside tables were also wrought iron, as were the chairs that had flanked the table in front of him when it had sat under the window, and the bed's head and foot boards. There were no drapes, and other than a few scatter rugs, the granite floor was bare. The only other flammable objects in the room were the bedding and the chair he sat in. "How...odd."

"What's odd?" Dr. Gunnarssen asked.

He looked up as she crossed the room carrying a plate and a rolled up napkin. She set them in front of him and sat down on the bed, folding her legs under her. Trying not to frown at her clothing choices, he unrolled the napkin and picked up the fork. "The absolute dearth of wood or much else in the way of flammable items in your suite." He speared a bite of omelet and began eating.

She smiled. "Not odd, necessary."

Swallowing, he frowned. "Why necessary...and this is good, by the way. The rosemary and thyme are a nice touch."

"Thank you. I try to avoid using salt, but I like flavor."

He finished another bite. "Are you avoiding my question?"

Her smile widened but she didn't respond as Rogers entered and set two glasses down on the table. "Doc, Stark and I have to take off for a few hours to meet Dr. Banner. Are you and, Miss Potts...uh, Pepper, going to be okay here? Nat and Clint can be here in ten minutes if you have trouble."

...

"I'm sorry," Loki interrupted. "You refer to the other women with titles, why do you call Agent Romanov by a nickname?"

Steve blushed. "Well, she told me if I called her Agent or Miss Romanov one more time, she'd make sure I sang soprano...and I really think she'd do it."

Loki stared for a moment and once the inference sank in, burst out laughing. The difference it made in his expression was amazing, and attractive as all hell. Kara spared a glance for Steve. The poor man felt totally flustered but was manfully trying not to show it. "I think you're right," she agreed. "And with that kind of threat, discretion is the better part of valor."

"Yes, ma'am. That was my thought. Uh, so are you good here?"

"Sure, no problem. When you guys have a more definite time frame, let us know."

"Will do."

"You still haven't answered my question," Loki reminded her, still smiling.

"No, I haven't.

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "You have your secrets, I have mine. Want to trade?"

"Ah, nice try...hmm."

"Hmm, what?"

"It occurred to me that I don't know your name...your given name, that is."

"Oh. Kara. And yes, you may use it."

"I was not going to ask permission," he informed her.

"Didn't think you were, so I took away your opportunity to be rude about it."

"Damn. I wonder though, most mortal physicians I've met are adamant that their proper title be used. Why are you different?"

"I'm a healer, not a physician, I don't have an M.D.," she told him and waited for the obvious question.

"Then what is your degree in?"

"Degrees. Genetics and psychology."

...

A psychologist. Of course. Well, the mortals did think him insane. "I see. So, have you begun your psychoanalysis?"

Damned woman had the nerve to chuckle. "No, I've decided to go with Dr. Banner's assessment. Your mind really is like a bag full of cats." She shrugged at his frown. "You've got to admit, it's both accurate and rather poetic. I can sense enough about you that I know your mind is not something it would be safe to dig into. One of us would end up being seriously hurt."

"And not necessarily you?"

She smiled. "I can defend myself, Loki, even from you. It's not something I'd enjoy doing, but I will if I must."

"And how, exactly, will you defend yourself?"

"You haven't shared any of your secrets yet."

So he hadn't. He stared at her, contemplating how to gain her trust. His eyes were drawn again to her unbecoming attire, sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. The loose material did no more than hint at the curves hidden beneath. It was so at odds with her classical features, graceful length of neck and slender hands that it irritated him to no end. "Why do you dress that way?" he asked.

Kara looked down at herself. "It's comfortable."

"It's calculated," he corrected.

She stared at him, appearing genuinely confused. "Calculated to do what?"

"To tease; to make a man wonder what treasure is hidden beneath." He blinked in surprise when her expression darkened and she slid off of the bed and backed away from him.

"What the hell is wrong with men? If I wear close fitting clothing, I'm a slut and just asking for it. If I wear loose shapeless clothes I'm a tease. Am I still just asking for it?" Her voice shook and she was blinking rapidly. What 'button' had he managed to push? "Seriously, Loki, I really want to know."

He shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, Kara. I did not mean anything other than to express appreciation. You are a beautiful woman."

She had crossed her arms over her chest and had turned away. "So, it's still my fault, no matter what I do? Great."

"I don't understand." He paused as she shook her head and started to walk away. "Please," he said. "Don't go. I did not intend to cause you distress. Stay and talk to me." He pushed at the table and managed to move it far enough away to rise. Leaning on it and then reaching for the bed post for balance he was able to walk to where she had stopped. Holding on with one hand he reached out with the other and lightly touched her shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong, please."

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his expression calm when she turned to face him. Her eyes were suspiciously wet, and her lower lip trembled. "It's funny, isn't it? I specialize in treating post-traumatic stress disorder…while suffering from a classic case of it."

Thinking about her comments he struggled to put them in context with what Captain Rogers had told him earlier. He inhaled sharply as comprehension dawned. "The traumatic event that triggered the abilities you won't discuss with me. You-you were violated, were you not?"

Kara laughed, rather sadly, he thought. "Violated. Wow, that's such a quaint word."

Loki sighed as the threatened tears began to escape. He tugged gently on her arm. "Come here, please," he told her quietly. She obeyed, and he carefully pulled her close. "To answer your question, it is not about anything being wrong with men," he began as he sat down on the bed, cupped her cheeks and wiped away the stray tears with his thumbs. "Those who would do such a thing are not men, they are offal. No man worthy of the name would ever treat a woman thus."

The maddening chit snorted disbelievingly. "But you kill women, don't tell me you haven't," she rasped.

Ah, now they were getting somewhere. "Yes. If a woman engages in combat, and I must face her as her enemy, I will kill her. That's respectful of her position as a warrior. Willingly doing harm when not in combat or forcing anyone to engage in sex regardless of the circumstances is dishonorable and I would never do something so shameful."

She stared up at him as he brushed her hair back and tucked it behind a shell-like ear then returned his palm to her cheek. "You are a bundle of contradictions, Loki."

He smiled. "Not really. You simply do not have all of the facts." She shivered when he brushed a thumb across her bottom lip. "Kara, I'd really like to kiss you, but I don't want you frightened. May I?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she muttered half under her breath.

"I do." He leaned in slowly to give her time to protest. When she did not, he lightly claimed her lips in a soft kiss, one designed to reassure and entice. She shivered, but didn't pull away. Deepening the kiss, he traced his hands along her jaw, then down her neck, finally slipping them behind her to draw her closer yet. "I'll never hurt you," he promised as he paused to allow her to catch her breath.

She stiffened in his arms then raised her hands to push against his chest when he moved to resume the kiss. "No, don't." He frowned and looked into her troubled eyes. "I-Thor told me that you felt yourself a monster because of your Jotun heritage," she said.

His mouth twisted. His brother had told her what he really was. No wonder she wanted no part of him. "I am what Asgardian mothers threaten disobedient children with," he admitted.

"But don't you see? That doesn't make a person a monster. What makes someone a monster is what they do, not what they are." The tears had started again. "I can't do this…I can't be close to anyone, Loki. It isn't because it's you. It's because I'm the monster."

Loki stared at her, stunned into silence for a moment. "How can you say that?" he finally asked.

Kara pulled away and ran to the bathroom. She returned carrying the three used towels, pulled the throw rug under the bed, and placed the damp towels on the now bare granite floor, far from the armchair and bedding. "It was the day before my thirteenth birthday. I was on my way home from school and decided to take a shortcut. I was so excited because I was finally going to be a teenager." She shuddered and hugged herself.

"You don't have to relive this for me, Kara."

"Don't I? I passed by three men…okay, let's call them scumbags," she offered when he started to interrupt. "They were drinking, had been drinking for a while judging by all of the empty bottles. When they saw me, they decided to have some fun and use me as their toy."

He wanted to close his eyes, to not hear this, but that wouldn't have been right. "And they violated you." It was not a question.

Her laugh was harsh. "Again with the quaint, oh so polite word. They raped me. Repeatedly. Then they left me broken and bleeding on the ground and went back to their drinking. I was crying, furious, and frightened. The rage rushed through me like a river of fire. I pushed myself up and found myself screaming at them, telling them they were going to burn in hell."

"That seems to be a reasonable reaction to that horror," he said carefully, not certain what she was expecting from him.

"Reasonable." She laughed again, this time it sounded desperate. Loki was the desperate one; he desperately wanted to hold her close and somehow make her pain go away, but something in her eyes held him still. "Then the power rose, the fire raged through me, and I brought them into hell on Earth." She looked back at the three very damp towels.

They burst into flames, three concentrated fireballs that quickly combined to a conflagration that burned so hot the center was white. He couldn't control his gasp and regretted it when she flinched. "You're a firestarter," he said in awe.

"Pyrokinetic, is the scientific term," she murmured. "Between us, I'm the true monster."


	8. Chapter 8

"Dr. Gunnarssen, a fire has been detected in your quarters, do you require assistance?" Kara started at the sound of the AI.

She tore herself away from Loki's stunned gaze and forced the fire to burn even hotter until the last of the material was consumed. The flames died as ash drifted to the floor. "No, Jarvis. I was…providing a demonstration and neglected to inform you. I've put it out now."

"Noted. Please advise when you are ready for clean-up assistance."

"I will."

"That," Loki said quietly, "was incredible. Thor was right; your gifts are quite impressive. You are no monster, Kara. What you are is amazing."

"It's not a gift, it's a curse," she told him. "Three men who should have gone to prison died horribly because of this…this thing inside me. I will never get that sight, or the smell of burning flesh, out of my head."

He shook his head and held out a hand to her, sighing when she crossed her arms again and ignored it. "Sweet lady, if you had not administered your own justice, I would be plotting how to get out of here to track those cretins down and kill them myself. Their crime is one that is not tolerated or excused for any reason in Asgard."

"How nice for Asgard." She decided a lecture on U.S. law would be an exercise in frustration, so let that subject drop.

"I want you," Loki told her. She glared at him as she felt genuine desire flash through him.

"Okay, apparently that object lesson," she said, pointing at the pile of ash, "was lost on you. I don't do intimacy, not with anyone. What if I had a flashback? I could incinerate you before I even realized what I was doing."

…

Loki frowned. He needed to think, and that just wasn't happening in her presence. Her energy affected him strangely. Yes, she was lovely, and he had sympathy for victimized children, and certainly disgust for those who would use a woman as she had been used, but attraction? Wanting to champion her? She was mortal, an insect…albeit a powerful one. Ah, now that made sense. He was drawn to that core of power he could feel running through her. "I think you underestimate me, but no matter, I trust you."

"You don't get it. I don't trust myself." Kara again pointed at the settling pile of ash. "That could just as easily have been you. I won't risk it."

"Dr. Gunnarssen, Agent Barton requires your presence on the observation deck." Loki frowned; he could easily come to hate that disembodied voice. It was as annoying as knowing Heimdall could be watching and listening to him at any given second.

"I've got to go. I'm sorry, I'll have to lockdown the suite when I leave," Kara told him.

"I understand. I-I'll just finish my breakfast."

She looked at the abandoned plate, then walked over and held one hand above it. "It's pretty cold." After moving the milk and water to the bedside nightstand, she returned her hand to the plate. Concentration firmed her mouth for a moment. When she removed her hand away again he could see steam rising from the eggs.

His eyes widened. "Incredible."

Kara shrugged. "After I accepted the fact that I couldn't get rid of this thing inside me I started examining it scientifically, experimenting with it. If I concentrate, I can manage a very precise application of heat. Not enough to combust an item, but enough to raise its temperature rapidly." She frowned. "But my concentration has to be absolute. One slip and the item is incinerated."

"Still…"

"Don't," she said, holding up a hand. "I've got to go. Tell Jarvis if you need help. The system doesn't listen to everything, but if you say the name as part of a question, you'll trigger a response protocol." She headed out the door, closing it behind her.

A few seconds later he heard a heavier door slide down behind the inner one and got the same type of claustrophobic feeling the drop cage and the manacle/muzzle combination had given him, only on a far larger scale. "Well, well. I won't be using my power to go anywhere anytime soon," he mused. After making his way back to the chair, he dug back in to the omelet.

…

Clint and Nat were waiting for her in the observation lounge. "What's up?" she asked.

"You tell us," Clint told her. "We received a recall message telling us to get our asses here, pronto. What did he do that you had to back him off with your pyrokinetics?"

"What? Nothing. He…I…never mind, it's complicated."

"Oh, Christ. Look at me."

"What?" she demanded angrily.

"Hmm, your eyes are still hazel."

"Of course they're still…Clint, we've discussed this. No scepter, no mind control, remember?"

"Then what the hell is it?"

"You've lost me," she told him, trying to be patient.

He gave her a disgusted look. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Your lips are swollen like you've been kissed. A lot."

Kara threw herself into a chair and sighed as Clint stalked out on the balcony and stared out at the city. How in hell was she supposed to reassure anyone else when she didn't understand it herself? She looked up when Natasha crouched in front of her with a lopsided smirk. "Playing with fire, hon?"

"Very funny."

The Black Widow shrugged. "He's handsome, no doubt about it. But he's a manipulative misogynistic murdering bastard."

Kara stared at Nat's serious expression. "Nat, what if it was all part of a war he was fighting against someone else. A war he couldn't tell us about without making things worse?"

"Hypothetically?" her eyes narrowed. "I take it you have a theory?"

"Yes."

"I'd still stand by the misogynistic bastard assessment."

She grinned. "Okay, let's break that down. Why?"

"Well, let's see. For one, he called me a mewling quim."

"Yes, but what were the circumstances?"

"Kara, you know very well, you saw the tape," Natasha reminded.

"I did, but I want you to remember. You went in there to manipulate him into telling you what his goal was. You shamelessly used your femininity, hoping he would underestimate you and spill his secrets."

"Of course; it was war, anything goes."

"Of course. Anything goes for you…but not for him?"

"What?" In one fluid movement, Natasha was on her feet and glaring at her.

Kara had to laugh. "Nat, you're applying a double-standard here, admit it. It was okay for you to fight with words, using your femininity, but it wasn't okay for him to fight back, again, with words, using your femininity against you? Was he just supposed to roll over before the superior woman and give her what she wanted?"

"Son of a bitch," Clint said from the balcony. "That...actually makes sense, I remember that, kind of. It was part of our orders through that damned scepter, fight the fight that's offered to you and no more, no less."

"Yes. Apparently in Asgard they're all about honorable combat. The question is: what war was he fighting?"

"He was trying to take over Earth, or maybe Asgard," Natasha said.

"Was he? I don't think so. Nat, from everything I've read, seen or heard he's smart, genius smart. Stirring up the only pot on the planet that could stop his so-called invasion isn't smart. He put you, all of you, on the field of play very deliberately. Why?"

…..

The omelet hadn't suffered much from reheating. Loki finished it and the milk and carefully made his way to the washroom. He could stand without assistance now, but the effort was exhausting, so he made use of the counter to lean on while he cleaned his teeth with the supplies that had been provided for him before he'd taken his bath. Staring at himself in the mirror, he reached within for his Jotun side. His skin swiftly turned blue, the trademark ridges appeared and red eyes stared back at him. A sheen of frost covered the counter. "No, sweet lady," he whispered. "I am still the monster." He reversed the change and made his way painfully to the bed.

He decided to enter the king-sized bed on the side closest to the washroom and roll over to the other side to spare himself the extra steps, his energy was waning. A moment after he lay down, Loki knew he'd made a mistake. The lavender and vanilla scent that was so distinctly Kara's washed over him. Closing his eyes he breathed it in for several long minutes before he forced himself to move. He'd just made it back to the far side of the bed when he heard the outer door slide open and felt the dampening circuitry disengage.

"Sorry I was gone so long," Kara said as she entered. Opening his eyes, he silently watched her cross the room and collect the plate, utensils and milk glass. The barely touched glass of water she left on the bedside stand. "I'll just run these to the kitchen and I'll be right back."

"Wait."

She frowned down at him. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, never mind. Go, it can wait until you return." Kara shrugged and left with the dishes. He turned to stare at her side of the bed. His contemplation of his reaction to her hadn't yielded any answers and that bothered him. He still had this, dare he say it? It was an insane urge to protect her, to make her his. It made no sense whatsoever. He'd turned it over in his mind, but none of the possible reasons rang true to him. Yes, she was a healer with talent that the healers of Asgard would envy. That alone made her priceless, but that-that wasn't why he wanted her. With her pyrokinetic abilities she would be a formidable weapon, but the thought of using her as such turned his stomach. Loki groaned and lay back to stare at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked as he felt the bed shift with her weight and then her hand slid under the hem of his garment to rest just above his navel. "I'm not feeling any issues," she said.

"I guarantee if you touched lower you'd feel an 'issue'," he couldn't resist saying as he felt his groin tighten.

Her hand froze in place and she sighed. "You really need to stop, Loki. I told you, I can't go there."

"Fine." He patted the bed. "Lay down and keep me company. I'm exhausted."

She frowned, but stretched out beside him. He tried not to smile when her hand was not removed. "You do have a drop in energy, but it feels like normal tiredness, nothing injury related."

"I said I was exhausted, not pained." He laid a hand on top of hers through the silky material as she started to withdraw it. "Please don't. I find your energy relaxing."

"All right."

He stared into her hazel eyes. The blue, green, and grey striations with small flecks of topaz that all seemed to move within her irises depending on the angle at which they were viewed reminded him of a kaleidoscope he'd brought back to Asgard as a present for his mother…his adoptive mother. His eyes drifted shut. Seeing the hurt and fear for him on Frigga's face had been the hardest part of facing the tribunal.

"Why suddenly so sad," Kara asked

"My-my mother. This, all of this has caused her a great deal of distress. I regret that."

"Why did you do it, Loki? I don't understand. Nothing seems to fit with what I can feel from you, what Thor has said about you, and what you have said about yourself. What you did here seems so out of character. I realize it was all part of a bigger plan, I need to know what that plan was so I can help you."

"It doesn't matter anymore," he told her, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. She'd feel it, but feelings were subject to interpretation, perhaps she'd think it was annoyance. The Other and his master would come, eventually, but at a time he could no longer predict or plan for. His underestimation of the combined genius of Stark and Banner that had resulted in them creating the damned energy dampening circuitry had ruined everything. His enemies and their legions of Chitauri would come, Asgard would fight…hopefully win, and Thor would be their hero. Again.

He frowned as she edged closer and laid her head on his shoulder. Before he truly realized what he was doing he had slipped his arm around her and hugged her closer still. "It matters to me," she said softly.

…..

Author's note: I'm still looking for an Avengers code name for Kara Gunnarssen. I've had a few suggestions, but nothing that "fits" for me. Please, leave me more suggestions, folks! I have to settle on something fairly soon.

Thanks for the lovely comments. You really make my day. As of today, over 500 people from 26 countries have read at least part of this story in less than a week. I'm jazzed by the numbers. Thank you all for reading, and I hope I continue to meet your expectations and satisfy your Loki cravings! - kiera


	9. Chapter 9

Kara sighed as she felt Loki drift into sleep. He had never answered her, but before he slept she had felt a veritable abyss of emotional pain well up within him. His head had turned toward her as he relaxed and she could feel his warm breath in her hair. She smiled sadly. It was hard to believe there was another adoptee out there with an even more painful and tragic emotional history than her own, and beyond all odds that she would be asked to help him, but there it was. She didn't believe in coincidence, so they must have both been moved to this place and time for a purpose. Dismissing the situation from her mind as best she could, she allowed herself to drift off as well.

A soft chime announced someone at her door a moment before it began to swing open. Kara groggily looked at the digital display imbedded under a clear surface in the far wall. She'd slept through the afternoon. At some point Loki had turned on his side and had both arms wrapped possessively around her. It felt good.

…

"Holy Christ," Tony muttered as he walked into Kara's suite. The most potentially dangerous woman he'd ever met was nestled in the arms of the most ruthless man he'd ever met. This could not be good, regardless of what Barton and Romanov had told him of Kara's objectives. There was nothing objective about the sleepy befuddled look she turned in his direction.

"Tony? What's wrong," she asked softly.

He shook his head and gestured at the two of them. "This," he said. "This is just wrong. I mean, seriously Kara? We're talking dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria."

Kara rolled her eyes at him and groaned. "That's it, you are hereby forbidden to watch any more eighties movies." She levered herself up on one elbow and looked down at her bed partner with pursed lips. "He is kind of cat-like, though. Big sleek cat, maybe a panther." Turning to face him again she continued, "That would make me the dog, Tony, so woof, woof, and get out of my room before I bite your ass."

"Promises, promises," he said with a mock leer. "We need you upstairs, we're having a conference call with Fury in fifteen. There's trouble afoot."

"And no more Sherlock Holmes books," she grumbled as she slid out from Loki's embrace and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be right up."

…

Loki was still sleeping deeply. She dashed into the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and her favorite blouse and clean underwear and carried them into the washroom. After a quick shower she dressed, brushed her teeth and hair, then entered the bedroom to grab her sandals. Loki's eyes were open and he was frowning. "What's wrong now?" she asked.

"I was about to ask you that. Where are you going?" he wanted to know as she sat on the bed to tug on the footwear.

"Meeting upstairs. I'm going to have to put the suite back on lockdown again, I'm very sorry."

"It hurts."

"What does?"

"The dampening technology. It's a much stronger version than the others I've been subjected to and it vibrates through my skull after a bit and becomes painful."

She frowned and leaned across the bed to stroke his cheek. "I have to turn it on, Loki, you know that. I'll be back as soon as I can and if you're in pain, I'll deal with it for you. That's the best I can do."

He sighed, closed his eyes and moved on to his back. "I understand. You do not trust me, and you're right not to. If I felt the need to be elsewhere, I would not stay here had I any choice in the matter."

Loki started when she stretched to kiss his cheek. "I wish I could trust you, Loki. But you haven't done anything to build that kind of confidence with me."

His voice was tired and reflected the bitterness she could feel. "I know."

She hurried out the door, and called for Jarvis to initiate the lockdown as she headed down the hall. When she arrived in the conference room, everyone was waiting. "I know, I'm late. I needed a shower, I hadn't had one since early yesterday."

"I'm sure we're all grateful, doctor. Or at least those of us in the room with you," Nick Fury said dryly from the huge screen that had been extended from the wall to show a conference room at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. "Okay, people, I'm going to turn this over to Jane Foster, our resident astrophysicist."

A woman near Kara's age with sandy hair and a serious expression nodded and picked up a controller. "I'll show a series of aerial photos on the other screen. The first, as you can see, is a world map with highlighted points. Each point represents an ancient site of some sort. Stonehenge in England, the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, and so forth." She flicked through twelve more aerial views of locations around the world and returned to the map. "Each of these sites has recently had reports of strange activity, the most prevalent report being of a sound like rushing waves where there is no water and flashes of blue lights. This went on for three days at all of the sites and then stopped abruptly."

Kara stared at the map and the twelve pinpointed sites spread across the globe. "What are those two in the U.S.?" she asked.

"The first is in Sedona, Arizona, near the Bell Rock vortex. The other is the site in New Mexico where we first met Thor," Foster said.

"All of them were reporting simultaneous activity?" Natasha asked.

"Every single one, yes, once we'd calculated the time differences."

A sick feeling twisted her stomach into knots. "Any way we can reach Thor?" Kara asked the group.

"Already tried," Tony responded. "And I've got to tell you, standing on the balcony, talking to thin air does nothing for my image."

Kara blinked. "What?"

Steve spoke up. "Thor told us we could reach him by calling out loud for someone named Heimdall, that this guy could hear his name called from here and would let Thor know if we had a problem."

"And no response, lovely." She looked around the room at the rest of the team. "Well? Is anyone going to spell it out?" Looking back at the screen, she addressed Nick Fury and Jane Foster. "Are we thinking this looks and sounds a little too similar to the tesseract opening and closing?"

"We are, doctor," Fury agreed."The question is, who is opening or trying to open wormholes, and why."

"Okay. Has it occurred to anyone that we need to ask the expert?"

"The experts have all discussed it, and we're at a standstill, obviously. Dr. Selvig is in agreement as to what is happening, but we can only speculate as to why," Nick continued.

"Not our experts, Asgard's expert," she clarified.

"Uh, yeah, spitfire, Thor isn't picking up the phone," Tony snarked.

…

Bruce Banner removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Tony, she means Loki. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. He's the only one on the planet who would be likely to have a good theory as to who or what is causing the phenomena."

"And that would be great, if we could trust reindeer games not to lie his ass off about it. That is in his job description, you know."

"I think we have a guarantee that he won't, or that if he does, we'll know it," he retorted. "We have a genuine empath, a powerful one. How many of us have tried to B.S. her and failed? I seriously doubt that Loki would have any better luck."

"No, not just no, but HELL no," Tony insisted.

"Stark, you don't run this outfit," Fury pointed out. "Nor are you the leader of this team."

"Fine, let's hear what soldier boy has to say about it."

"I don't consider that an insult, Stark," Steve Rogers said. "You're slipping." Tony waved off the comeback. "If this is something to do with wormholes opening, we're in big trouble. I say we consult with the expert, but we check and double-check anything he tells us. Dr. Gunnarssen, we'll need you to monitor him, let us know if you think he's pulling something."

"Oh for Christ's sake, she's sleeping with the son of a bitch," Tony griped. "That's like asking the…oh hell, I can't even think of a metaphor that fits."

Bruce looked at Kara who was surging to her feet. "Kara, calm down, you know he's an ass, don't let it get to you."

Her head whipped around and she stared at him for several long seconds before settling back down in her chair. "Fine. I'm calm." she turned back toward Stark. "I am not on intimate terms with Thor's brother and you damn well know that. I don't trust him, he's keeping too many secrets, but that doesn't mean he can't or won't help with this. The only other beings besides Thor's people that we know about with technology to use wormholes damn near killed him. I really think it would be in his best interests to determine if this is something they're doing and if so, to help us find a way to stop them."

"That was my thought, too," Bruce agreed. "Cap? What do you think?"

"I think we need to bring him in on this," Rogers said with a censuring glare at Stark. "And I also think certain people need to show more respect for their own team members."

…

Loki felt the dampening field disengage and relaxed. Trying to block the pain in his weakened state was draining his already limited energy. A moment later the door opened and Kara entered with a suited up Captain Rogers on her heels. The man walked over to the bedside while Kara opened the door to the walk-in closet. "Back from your trip so soon?" he asked the flashily dressed mortal.

Rogers frowned at him. "We just needed to verify a few things in person. It didn't take long. You're needed upstairs, you feeling up to it?"

His eyebrows rose before he could stifle his surprise. "I've an almost blinding headache and I'm exhausted from fighting it."

"Loki, this is important, you really need to get dressed and join us," Kara said as she exited the closet and headed for the washroom carrying men's clothing. "Let me set this down and I'll take care of that headache for you."

"Why is it important?" he asked lightly, schooling his features to indifference.

"Anyone besides the Asgardians and your former buddies know how to use wormholes?" Rogers asked.

"Yes, the Jotun, though they haven't the technology for it at the moment, and both the Ljósálfar and Svartálfar, ah, the Álfar? Hmm, the light and dark elves?" he clarified at the mortal's questioning look.

Rogers was staring at him with a seriously disturbed expression. "Huh," he finally said. "So, are Dracula and the Wolfman real, too?"

Loki sighed. "Not that I'm aware of, though several of the races can shift forms if the individual is powerful enough." He relaxed back against the pillows as Kara pointed firmly at the bed. Her fingers were tingling with energy as she touched his temples and began to rub them gently in a counter-clockwise direction. The tension that was sending spikes of pain through his head began to drain away. "Thank you," he breathed as he let his eyes drift shut.

"Would any of these Álfar have any reason to be trying to open a wormhole to here?" Rogers asked.

"Not hardly, it's forbidden them. Their treaty with Asgard restricts all contact with Midgard. The All-Father wanted your people to have the opportunity to destroy themselves, or not, without any outside interference."

"Then we have a serious problem, Loki," Kara told him as she withdrew her hands. The last of the pain seemed to go with them. "Sit up and let me energize you a bit, so you can get dressed." He complied and she placed her hands, as she had before, above his Base and Solar Plexus Chakras, and he felt the slight push of energy. Too soon she stopped and stepped back. "That's all I can manage right now. Can you make it to the bathroom?"

"Yes, thank you." He touched her cheek as he pushed himself to his feet and took hold of the foot board as he made his way around the bed.

Captain Rogers moved in and hefted the heavy iron table up and moved it back under the window once he was out of the way. "Let me know if you need a hand in there," Rogers told him.

He used the facilities and rubbed a hand across his jaw. Looking down at the kit that had been set out for him, he found shaving supplies and used them. Though he didn't have the generous amount of facial or body hair that male Asgardians produced, he did have some, and he detested stubble. Face smooth, he combed back his straight hair and frowned as it fell down untidily into his eyes. Loki sat down on the vanity bench for a moment, then shrugged. "Kara?" he called out.

The door opened. "Do you need Steve?" she asked.

"If I'd needed Rogers, I'd have called for him. Do you have anything designed to hold hair in place?"

"I have mousse," she said as she pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked over to the shelf that held different grooming products.

"How is it used?" he asked.

Kara turned and frowned at him. "It's easier to show you than explain, then you can do it yourself next time." He nodded and watched as she pressed down on a lever and a fluffy blob of product squirted out into her cupped palm. "How did you want it to look, all set straight back, like it was when you arrived last time?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay." She stepped closer and worked the 'mousse' through his hair and then swept it back with her hands. After reaching for the comb, she combed back stray pieces that she'd missed and then looked him over critically. "That should do it. It will stay that way even when it dries," she told him. "My hair is even finer than yours and it holds it all day." Kara returned the product to the shelf and then washed her hands. "Are you all set, then?"

"Yes, thank you." He stared into the mirror for a second. His exhaustion was obvious, but there was no help for it. If the mortals sought to betray him after granting him refuge and hospitality they'd find that he was far from weak. "I'm ready."


	10. Chapter 10

Nick Fury let the Avengers continue to bicker as he conferred with Agent Hill over the readiness status of the remainder of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the more traditional military units they were authorized to mobilize. He kept half of his attention on the juvenile antics of Tony Stark and the efforts of Dr. Banner to keep him in line as he reviewed reports. The only surprising part of the circus was that Hawkeye was not jumping on the 'Loki is too dangerous to deal with' bandwagon. Interesting. He returned his full attention to the screen when he heard his name mentioned.

"Fury, the doc has been wondering what code name you've assigned her," Stark said with a decided smirk. "I thought that news should be yours to share."

Nick sighed. "How very…gracious of you." Stark's grin faded as he looked off to the side of the room. Following the billionaire's gaze he saw Rogers and Dr. Gunnarssen enter flanking a very haggard-looking God of Mischief. He'd read the reports but hadn't quite believed the seriousness of Loki's condition. Thor's brother looked like he'd been cranked through a wringer and hung out to dry, and this was _after _nearly five days of intense medical and metaphysical treatment and recovery. Apparently the reports of how close Loki had come to death weren't exaggerated. He waited until the three had taken seats. "Are you sure he's up to this?" he asked Kara Gunnarssen.

"_He_," Loki said with his usual superior smirk, "can answer for himself."

"Oh, I'm sure _he_ can, but I wanted the healer's opinion."

The man managed a careless shrug as Kara turned to look at him. "I think he has to be, Nick. It's likely his problem as much as it is ours. Maybe more so since he's got a lot more to lose."

Loki snorted almost too softly for the audio connection to pick up. "Don't think it could be your problem, Loki?"

"I think that Kara does not understand that I have little left to lose," Loki responded. He sighed when the doctor turned to stare at him. "Please don't go into therapy mode, doctor. We don't have time for it."

Nick sat back feeling a bit more comfortable about the dynamic between Kara and Loki. Stark was overreacting if even the patient knew her attention was intended as therapy. "Have you been briefed at all?"

… …

"Yes, Captain Rogers explained about the phenomena and the timing on our way up. I need to see the map if you would."

"Jane, flip back to that…thank you," Fury said as the second screen changed from an aerial view of an area that looked to be in the southwestern part of this continent to a world map.

Loki studied the map and its highlighted sites. "I need a scale, in kilometers if possible, that is easier for me to convert to Asgardian measurements." A scale popped up on the map. "Hmm, most of the areas are either too far from each other, or are separated by a large enough body of water to become a problem. However, those two," he said, indicating the two on their continent, are worrisome."

"Why?" Fury asked.

"To open a wormhole without the full power of a tesseract in the hands of the one opening it, you need three points. One at your end, and two where you wish to emerge. The only tesseract that is currently known is in the hands of the All-Father…damn." He took a deep breath as he thought about how to phrase his question. "I realize that you will not, cannot tell me where the scepter is, and I fully accept that. What I must know, however is whether or not you have the scepter at least a thousand kilometers from any of the other locations."

Fury tapped on a screen to his left and waited before answering. "Yes, well over that distance."

"Good. That would have been…problematic."

"It could serve as one of those points you spoke of, I take it?"

"Yes. The gate it would open would be far smaller than the gate possible using two of the sites here and the power source on the other side, but it would still be a viable if unstable gate. The instability of any wormhole opened without the tesseract or a powerful construct like the Bifröst is in our favor."

"But no wormhole or gate as you call it opened. Does that mean they failed and we can stand down?"

"Unfortunately not. The energy that was sent out was a test, trying to locate a possible egress for their gate, much like a bat emits sounds to navigate as it flies."

"Like a sonar ping, sending out waves of energy to see what bounces back?"

Loki frowned as he thought about the reference. "Ah, yes. That's an excellent analogy, director." He gestured back at the map. "The enemy would have received a reference much like that map. They may waste time trying to open their gate in areas that are separated by bodies of water as they will get the strength of and distances between the sites, but not the topography, so we may have a week or more yet. Each time they 'ping' as you say, it will cost them a great deal of energy and it will take them several of your days to rebuild the levels to the point where they can make an attempt at this distance. It took them over a month to build up enough energy to connect to the tesseract when you brought that out into the open air, and even at that, because they were using a one to one point connection, they were only able to send one person."

Fury closed his sole eye and exhaled heavily. "You."

"Yes."

"So do you believe it is the Chitauri who are attempting to reach Earth?"

"Their masters, yes. The Chitauri themselves are not a particularly intelligent race. They are more a destructive force that needs to be guided to be effective. The ones behind them are another issue altogether."

"So, sending the scepter back here protected Asgard, then?"

"Of course, with the Bifröst in ruins there are only two…oh, bloody hell."

… …

Steve Rogers frowned as Loki lurched to his feet and headed for the balcony. "Uh, Dr. G?"

"I don't know, Steve, but something just terrified him, I can feel it." She got up to follow her patient. "Loki, what's wrong?"

He followed them, noting that Stark was moving to intercept Loki at the door. "Stark, stand down, let's see how this plays out."

"The hell you say. What if he's just been acting weak and he uses that mojo of his to pop on out of here?"

"I'm ordering you to stand down, Avenger."

Stark stopped to stare at him in shock. "You're ordering me?" His laugh was derisive. "Oh, that's good. Who the hell made you the boss of me in my own damn tower?"

"I did, Stark," Fury said from the screen. "His instincts are good, listen to him."

Hawkeye had stepped into the doorway, blocking Loki's exit. "Explain or forget it," he told the taller man.

"There's another artifact in Odin's treasure room, I'd forgotten. And if the enemy has sent these 'pings' there, they will be preparing to open a gate right where the weapon they seek is stored. Asgard must be warned."

Barton opened the door and watched Loki exit. "Thanks, Clint," Steve said as he caught up.

"No problem, Cap. Unlike some people, I don't argue with orders, I just make sure they make sense."

Following Loki out onto the balcony, Steve moved to the side as Dr. G pushed past him. "Loki, Tony already tried to get their attention," she said.

"Perhaps they were too busy to send anyone. Regardless, he did not know what warning to give." Loki stepped to the middle of the area and spoke loudly…surprisingly in English. "Heimdall! Tell Odin that the Casket of Ancient Winters must also be moved. The enemy can use it and either the Cube or the Gauntlet to open a gate. They must not reach the Gauntlet!"

… …

Loki took a step forward and staggered. Kara grabbed him and tried to hold him upright and almost went down herself under the weight she didn't really expect. Steve reached them and was able to prevent them both from hitting the floor of the balcony. "Crap, I forgot how heavy you are," she said as Loki looked down at her.

"You okay now?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Loki told him. He stared down at her as Steve nodded and returned inside. "Kara, should I start to go down again, let me fall. It will hurt me a great deal less than my landing on you will hurt you."

Kara harrumphed and pulled away. "You're welcome," she muttered.

He had the nerve to chuckle. "I do appreciate the thought, Kara, but I can't heal you if you are injured."

"Whereas, I can likely heal you. I get it, it's just…annoying."

"Yes, well, most find me so," he said quietly.

Her eyes flew to his. "That is not what I meant," she hissed. "You know that."

"Careful, my dear. Your friends will think you have an interest in more than my rehabilitation, can't have that, can we?" His tone was almost…snide.

"I really don't care what they think," she said.

He stopped moving and frowned down at her. "You should, Kara. I will be gone, eventually, and you will have to deal with what they think of you. I'm not worth their bad opinion or distrust of you."

Kara stopped, shocked into immobility by his words as he went back to his seat in front of the conference screen. "That's the problem," she whispered. "You've lost your self-worth." She moved to the edge of the balcony furthest downwind from the door. "Heimdall, if you're listening, you can tell that idiot king of yours that he screwed up royally. This is all his damn fault and I am pissed. He'd better keep his ass in Asgard, because if he causes any trouble for Loki here, he's going down, and you can just ask Thor if I can do it." While she didn't believe for a minute that anyone in Asgard could have heard her, letting off the steam felt damn good.

… …

Heimdall blinked. A mortal woman had called the All-Father an idiot, and threatened him, no less. He shook his head and waited for the runner he had sent to return with someone from the palace where Odin was addressing the populace in the golden Valhöll. He turned at the sound of hoof beats on the remains of the bridge behind him.

Fandral approached at breakneck speed, for once without the rest of the Warriors Three. "Ho, Heimdall, The All-Father needs Thor here, but I have news to take to our allies on Midgard." He dropped off of the horse.

"I have more news for the All-Father," Heimdall responded. "Do not send the horse back, I will need it, this news cannot be trusted to a messenger."

"Will the repairs hold?" Fandral asked.

"Long enough to get you there safely. You will need to remain until the All-Father can pull you back himself or until Thor can use the Cube. Beware of a mortal woman named Kara. She has threatened the All-Father and may be serving Loki."

Fandral laughed. "Truly? Hmm, Thor did say there was a healer by that name who had a warrior's power, but he seemed to approve of her." He shrugged. "Ah, well , I will keep my eyes open, thanks for the warning."

"Safe travels," Heimdall said and sent him on his way.

… …

Thor frowned as Heimdall strode into the Valhöll. "Who guards the bridge, old friend?" he asked.

"The bridge is the least of our worries. Come, we must speak urgently to your father."

Turning, Thor beckoned to Hogun. "Go, guard the bridge in Heimdall's absence." Hogun nodded and ran from the hall. "What is so urgent, Heimdall?" he asked as they strode to the chamber where Odin was taking reports.

"I have no wish to tell it twice, Odinson." The grim man looked at him. "What do you know of this mortal named Kara? Is she a threat to Asgard?"

"What? Of course not, she's a gifted healer and saved my brother's life. She is due great honor."

"She has threatened your father's life, and called him an idiot," Heimdall grated. "Has she the power to do harm to a god?"

Thor frowned, considering. In addition to experiencing her empathic projection of terror, he'd watched a demonstration of her ability to create an amazingly intense fire. "Probably, but she would not. She is an honorable woman and prefers to heal rather than harm." He looked to where Odin stood by a window, speaking quietly with Frigga. "Father, Heimdall brings grave news, he tells me."

"What is so grave that you have abandoned your post, Heimdall?" Odin asked, keeping his voice low. Thor winced at his father's subtle reminder to curb his habit of speaking loudly enough to be overheard.

Heimdall bowed respectfully. "Loki passed on an additional warning. He feels the Casket could also be used to anchor a gate and should be moved far from the Gauntlet."

"He is recovered then?" Frigga asked hopefully.

"Recovering, my lady. He nearly fell and needed the support of the mortal known as Captain America to remain standing."

"But still he found the strength to give us the warning we needed," Thor said. "See, father? He has had a change of heart, I know it."

"My son, he must be punished for the deaths he caused, change of heart or no."

"He was. He nearly died at our enemy's hands to bring us warning of their impending attacks."

"Odin, my husband. Has he not suffered enough?"

Thor nodded in agreement with his foster-mother. "He did suffer greatly, father, and he truly thought he would not survive delivering his first warning."

"It is not enough to avoid punishment altogether. But perhaps it is enough to earn some mercy. We shall see what can be done with him." Odin paused and looked down at his queen. "And for him," he added. "Heimdall, return to the bridge. If the repairs are still holding, send Hogun to Midgard to assist Fandral. If we thwart the attempt of the Chitauri to open a gate here, they will force one open to Midgard, and then use Midgard's fate and my promise to protect it to draw us out."


	11. Chapter 11

Loki frowned as Kara's words drifted to him. They were far too faint for the mortals to hear, of course. Fool woman had the gall to challenge the All-Father, and for what? Him? He closed his eyes tiredly. Perhaps Thor would turn his father's wrath away from her…assuming Heimdall took Kara's threat seriously; it was possible he'd simply disregard it as a mortal's empty bluster. He looked up as she dropped into the seat beside him. Kara still looked angry. "I've no doubt you were heard, my lady. Take care."

She stared at him, her eyes wide. "Oh, your hearing is that good, hmm?" She shrugged. "I meant it, and I'm capable of carrying through with it."

"I don't doubt it, but truly, you do not want Odin as your enemy. Even power such as yours would only serve to make him angry."

Kara's smile was suspiciously serene. "You haven't seen everything I can do."

"Next steps, people," the S.H.I.E.L.D. director called out from the screen. Loki found himself sympathizing with the man, at least somewhat. Directing this group was like trying to herd bilgesnipe: not only all but impossible, but dangerous. "Loki, what can we do about this?"

"Unless one of the sites lies in an area that we can cover by a minimum of four meters in saltwater, one of the sites will need to be either moved in some manner, or destroyed outright. The Cube, ah, tesseract as you call it, was buried in the ocean for many years from what I understand. This is why Midgard did not attract unwanted attention before."

"Can we have the aerials on the two sites again, Jane?" Stark asked.

"This is the site where Thor and his friends came through," the woman with Fury told them. Loki frowned. He'd expected Thor's beloved to be more impressive. Certainly she was attractive for a mortal, but not memorably. "This first site is located southeast of Galisteo, New Mexico, at a design carved deep in the mesa, roughly round in shape, about ten meters wide. As you can see, there would be no way to submerge or move it."

Loki examined the carving and frowned. "Let's see the other one, destroying this one should not be our first option."

"No problem," Jane Foster said as a new image replaced the first. "This is the Bell Rock formation, near Sedona, Arizona. Mr. Stark can tell you what he found there."

Stark looked up from where he'd been staring down at a glass of whiskey, brooding. "Just east of the actual Bell Rock, there's another carving. It isn't as large or as deep as the one in Galisteo, but the pattern is similar. Jarvis, drop another screen and display the aerial I took of that carving."

"Of course, Sir," the disembodied voice said as Loki frowned in annoyance. A screen dropped down on the other side of the main screen. Another carving in red rock was displayed. This one looked rougher even to the untrained eye.

"This is our target," he decided. "Destroy this one immediately and you will buy Midgard what it needs most; time."

"Why this one and not the other," Fury asked.

"The egress point in New Mexico was created by the All-Father. He would be…unhappy to have that effort put to waste when another option was available."

The entire group turned to stare at him. Fury looked…furious. The thought made him chuckle and deepened the director's frown. "And why would Odin make an egress on Earth?" he bit out.

"Ah, well, to ensure quick passage when needed. The Bifröst is the power source we use to travel within the Nine Realms, or was before Thor destroyed it, but egress points are needed to transport multiple beings. This is one of those points."

"I don't think that answers the question, Loki," Kara said softly.

He sighed. "Fine. History lesson. The people, and I do use that term loosely, of Midgard, would be the playthings of the other races in the Nine Realms were it not for the protection of Asgard. The Jotun, the Ljósálfar and the Svartálfar..." He paused at the blank looks on most of the faces. "The Frost Giants and the Elves or Álfar, light and dark," he clarified. "These groups were using Midgard and harshly, mostly for amusement. Odin rallied Asgard to put a stop to it. There was a great deal of warring, and many warriors of Asgard, including myself during the latter wars against the Svartálfar, fought to ensure that Midgard and its inhabitants were left alone to evolve or die without interference."

"I see," Fury commented. "So these egress points were created in various parts of the world to give Asgard's warriors quick access should any of the other races try to go behind Odin's back to play?"

"Correct." Loki gestured at the third screen. "This one, however, was not made by Odin. I suspect one of the other races carved it and did not have the opportunity to use it as that would have alerted Heimdall and we would have seen it destroyed a millennia ago."

"Okay, people. Let's get it done," Fury ordered.

… …

"Stark, can you take this? You're best equipped for it," the capsicle asked.

Tony frowned at the red, white and blue clad boy scout. "Sure, Cap. No problem. Anything else I need to know first?" His glance around the room netted nothing but shrugs, oh, and a frown from reindeer games. "Well, then I'll just suit up and head out."

"The remains of the rock will need to be transported out of the area, at least another four hundred kilometers away from the Galisteo carving," their unwelcome guest said. "While destroying the carving would prevent them from locating it again, the energy in it may reside in the actual rock at this point and might be able to be used since that location has already been confirmed."

"Okay, that makes as much sense as any of this does. Better safe than sorry."

Fury had turned away to a screen in the background. "I'll have transport for the rock remains meet you there. The National Guard is clearing the area of people and securing it so you won't have any interference, and we've notified the appropriate authorities to expect to pick you up on their instruments."

"Sounds good." He knocked back the last of his drink and headed for his launch area. "Bruce, can you let Pepper know where I am? She's in an acquisition conference right now and can't be disturbed."

"No problem."

… …

Loki was staring out the window when she brought a plate over to the table for him. He frowned down at it once she had set it down. "Did you cook this as well?" he asked.

"No, since so many of us are here, Pepper called Tony's personal chef in. I'm decent with a few things, but I know my limits."

"So good to know you actually have limits." He speared a piece of meat with his fork, chewed it slowly, then swallowed. "Am I too dangerous to be allowed a knife?" he muttered, his tone matching the annoyance that rolled off of him in waves.

Kara tried not to sigh. "No, I just forgot to grab one. I'm sure you could cause just as many problems with a fork if you were so inclined." He didn't respond, but at least he was eating. "I'll go get the knife. You have a choice of juice, milk or water to drink. The M.D. looked at your blood work and after he got over the fact that he wasn't looking at human blood, recommended against anything alcoholic or containing caffeine yet."

Loki's frown intensified until it was just short of a glare. "What kind of juice?"

"Um, we have apple or pomegranate."

"Pomegranate will do."

She headed back for the kitchen, reminding herself to have patience.

… …

"Sir, we have a report from S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the ground in Galisteo," Jarvis informed him.

"What's happening there?" Tony asked as he studied the area surrounding the carving.

"A man has appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. One of the agents recalls seeing him in town when Thor Odinson faced the automaton."

"An Asgardian, then? Guess Heimdall finally passed on the message. Why send him to New Mexico, though…oh. Never mind. Patch me through to Fury."

"Fury here."

"This is your friendly identified flying object. Do you want me to check out the newcomer once I'm done here?"

Tony smirked inside his helmet at Fury's sigh. "No. Romanov and Barton are in route. Just get that carving destroyed. We've got a Quinjet modified to carry cargo ready to remove the rock."

"Copy that. Heh, always wanted to say that."

"Stark…"

"Keep your pants on, chief. I'm slagging the carving with lasers as we speak, then I'll bust it up with a few low-level charges. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

"Report back in before you head to New York."

"Will do."

… …

Frowning down at his empty plate, Loki forced himself to set the fork down gently. His thoughts kept going back to the damned woman. She'd done something to him, he was certain of it. Standing, he moved between the table and the window and stared back out at the city. Based on the view, he was below the lounge area where he had been forced to allow the beast to smash him into the floor without retaliating or escaping using his power. The door to the suite opened. She was back. "What are you doing to me?" he asked without turning around.

"What?" The woman sounded surprised. Likely surprised she had been caught.

"You have been manipulating me, using the excuse of giving me energy to aid in my physical recovery. Why?"

"I _am_ giving you energy to help you recover physically, no more, no less than that. I wouldn't know how to do anything else," she claimed.

He laughed quietly. "Why does everyone lie to me? Do you think me stupid? I assure you, doctor, I am not. Do you think to keep me placid until Odin can bring me home to face the Court's tribunal? If that's the case, leave off. I have no intention of avoiding my fate. There's nothing else left for me at this point."

"I-I don't understand. Why do you think I'm manipulating you? What's happening that you think I'm violating every principal I believe in?" she asked, an obviously faked note of stress creeping into her voice.

"Taking acting lessons from Agent Romanov? She is far more convincing."

"Loki Odinson, I don't know what bug has crawled up your ass, but you need to get over…"

"Do not call me that!" She cringed back satisfactorily as he spun and advanced toward her. "I am not his son, and never could be."

The woman's demeanor shifted. "Fine. Would you prefer Laufeyson? Do you really want to be called after the man who abandoned you to die? I'm sure he'd be so thrilled."

"He'd be nothing of the sort as he's dead. I killed him."

She sighed. "I know. Thor mentioned that you killed your birth father to save your adoptive father."

"Perhaps I chose the wrong man to save. Odin abandoned me as well when he threw me into the void."

"He didn't throw you into the void. He wasn't even touching you when you…"

"I was there, woman! Do not presume to know what happened. I am certain my _dear brother_ told you what he wanted you to believe."

"Okay, I'm going to take a walk before you really succeed in pissing me off." She turned and strode towards the door.

"I did not give you permission to leave."

"That's fine, because I didn't ask for it," she said without looking back. He reached out with the power that had been slowing trickling back and slammed the door. She stopped for a moment then moved to reopen it physically. He held it closed as she turned to face him. "I am the only person who has been willing or able to help you that hasn't given up on the job. Don't push me, Loki. Let the damned door go."

"I don't need you."

"You don't know what you need."

… …

Kara closed the door behind her and collapsed against the wall in the corridor, shaking. "Hey, kiddo, what's wrong," Bruce asked as he left an open doorway down the hall a bit.

"I wish I knew, Bruce, I really do." She put her hands on her knees and took a few deep breaths.

"Kara, come on, talk to me," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She straightened. "I-am I using my empathic gift to manipulate Loki?"

His jaw dropped. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Somehow he's convinced that's what I'm doing. I'm not sure why. Maybe I am, somehow?"

"You'd never do that."

"God, Bruce. I'm so confused. I want to help him, I really do, but I don't know if I can."

He sighed. "Kara, I'm not a shrink, but I'm a good listener. Why don't we go sit down and talk."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Yeah. That-that's a good idea. Jarvis, initiate lockdown of my suite, please."

"Lockdown initiated."

… …

Bruce led the way into his sitting room. "Have a seat, you want some tea?"

"Sure. Tea would be good."

When he came back from the kitchen Kara was staring morosely at the wall his suite shared with hers. "Here you go, just how you like it." She didn't look at the mug. "Earth to Kara?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. When did I start screwing it up?" she asked.

He thought about how to answer. "I'm not sure that you are."

"Oh, I am, trust me," Kara insisted. "He's all over the place. One minute he's quiet, almost kind, and the next, paranoia kicks in and you'd think I was some manipulative bitch from hell. He seriously believes that I'm using my abilities to control him." She took a sip of the tea and sat back. "Honestly, I don't think that I could, but maybe I'm wrong? Maybe I made him feel as he seemed to…no, why would I do that? I didn't want him to…God, what a mess."

"Is he bipolar, maybe?"

"It doesn't _feel _that way."

"Okay, so help me here. What does he think you were making him feel?"

"Attracted to me."

"Oh for…Kara, you're a beautiful woman, he'd have to be gay to not be attracted to you at least until he remembered that you're human. Oh."

"What?"

"When did he start making this accusation? After the meeting?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"Okay, that…makes sense, actually. So, let's break it down."

Kara snorted. "That's my line."

"I know, I figured it must work."

"Okay, fine. Break it down for me."

Bruce smiled. Her hands were no longer clenched, that was a good sign. "Loki arrives here, mostly dead, not all dead, just mostly dead."

"Have you been watching eighties movies with Tony?" she demanded.

"Guilty. He's blown his last wad of power to get here, gasps out his warning to the first person he's conscious enough to notice, then passes out, expecting to die."

"Yep."

"Next thing he knows, he's lying in a bed, weak as a kitten, with a beautiful woman passed out on top of him and he's told she saved his life. He loses consciousness yet again." Kara was sitting back with her arms crossed, waiting for him to continue. "Okay, next time he comes to, same beautiful woman lying on him again. He's told that she's exhausting herself trying to help him. You see where I'm going with this?"

"Yes, guilt and gratitude. That's a powerful combination."

"Plus he's weaker than he's ever been in his life, so your life force, mortal as it is, seems powerful to him. He starts developing an attraction to you." Bruce chuckled as Kars scrunched up her face. "Oh, come on. Have you never had a crush on a young handsome doctor?"

"Okay, yes, I can see that," she admitted.

"Same woman is genuinely trying to help him, shares her own tragic history with him, and it's a history guaranteed to put any decent man into protective mode. A decent man is going to wish he could be her hero, even if she's capable of taking care of herself and in fact, did so."

Kara's jaw dropped. "Oh. He did make a comment about my saving him the trouble of tracking them down and killing them." Her smile was small and sad, but it was there. "You're pretty good at this, did you ever consider studying psychology?"

"Yes, I looked into it as an undergrad," he admitted. "But I had too many anger issues." Bruce smiled as she groaned. "So, our problem child is now filled with urges to pay back the woman who saved him and to be her hero. He's physically recovering at this point, so his libido kicks in."

"Shit."

"Exactly. The perfect storm."

"So, he didn't care about me really, he was just reacting to impulses dictated by all of the emotional input, oh, I am so stupid. Why didn't I see this? I treat people for this crap and I do it well."

He shrugged. "The same reason you're still struggling with your PTSD. It's really hard to be objective when you're one of the players."

"So what triggered the sudden change in attitude?"

"You did. After he passed on his second warning to Asgard, which gave him a subliminal reminder that he wasn't one of us, you stayed outside. Why?"

She squirmed in the chair. "I was…crap, Bruce. I've lost all objectivity. I was pissed on his behalf. I, well, more or less threatened Odin."

"And Loki heard it."

"Yes. He warned me to back down, that I didn't want to take on Odin."

"Probably a good idea. But let's look at it this way. You kind of forcibly reminded him that you are mortal. He has a condescending attitude towards mortals at the least, or may well detest us completely, it's hard to tell."

"So, if he's feeling any kind of attraction for a mere mortal, then obviously someone must be somehow forcing or manipulating him into feeling it?"

"Bingo."


	12. Chapter 12

Loki stared out the window, ignoring Dr. Nassar's latest question, as he ignored most of them. He wasn't certain if the doctor would ever ask about the case studies he'd left him to read, or if the irritating man would wait for him to bring it up. The psychiatrist had been visiting once a day since Dr. Gunnarssen - Kara, had left the tower. He began to sigh; catching himself he stretched his neck and massaged the ache in his right shoulder to disguise it.

"Are you in pain, Loki?" the mortal asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"No more than usual."

"How long have you had this pain?"

After glancing at the clock imbedded in the far wall Loki smirked and answered "For approximately thirty-eight minutes."

Nassar smiled. "Have you had this pain at the same time every day?" he asked.

"I am not having psychosomatic reactions to your presence if that is what you are inferring," he snapped, and twisted his shoulders to crack his neck and relieve some of the growing tension.

The human's eyes widened slightly. "Dr. Gunnarssen's notes mentioned issues with the dampening circuitry, has that worsened?"

He stood and paced the room, stretching as best he could in its confines. "Daily."

"Jarvis, disengage the lockdown protocol immediately, authorization Raj Nassar, M.D.," the doctor said.

Loki turned to stare as the AI responded. "Lockdown protocol disengaged, doctor."

The dissonance dropped off immediately, but the damage from this round was already done. His nerves were on fire. If he didn't need to be where Thor could find him when Odin finally decided to bring him back before the tribunal, he'd have left. His power had rebuilt sufficiently to override the dampening technology and shift out of the area without doing himself too much damage. He dropped back into the armchair rubbing his temples. "Not afraid of me, doctor?"

The man shrugged. "Not any more than with the lockdown in effect. You could easily have killed me before anyone could enter."

"You've yet to give me reason to," Loki responded dryly.

"I do have a finely honed sense of self-preservation," Nassar agreed. Loki opened his eyes to stare at the slender therapist. The man's chocolate-colored eyes stared back at him unwaveringly and a slight smile turned up one corner of his mouth.

"Apparently so. Tell me, doctor, why do you care about my pain?"

"Because I _am_ a doctor. It's not just my job; it's my calling to relieve suffering."

"Ah, yes. Psychiatrists are medical doctors as well as therapists." This time Loki allowed the sigh to escape. "You are not going to ask if I've read the case studies, are you?"

… …

Raj let his smile deepen. The patience taught him by his Indian-born maternal grandfather and London-born mother had paid off again. The fish out of water existence he had lived with his Hindu mother and Lebanese Muslim father in largely Anglican England also helped him avoid the cultural traps that dealing with someone of another ethnicity, or in this case species, could bring. "If you hadn't felt it worth mentioning, why would I bother you with it?"

"Do you think…no, obviously you _do_ think that I experienced something similar to these patients or you would not have asked me to read them." The Asgardian prince grimaced. "So simple a thing as gratitude, is it?" he continued, dropping his head back on the chair and staring at the ceiling. His chuckle was bitter. "It was a weakness to allow such a thing to happen."

"No, it was natural. Regardless of the species, living beings from those who barely have the capability to use tools up to those capable of higher thought all have the capacity for gratitude. And the depth of the gratitude, well, you were all but dead, if you recall."

"Regardless, it's a relief to know that I do not have any true feelings for this mortal. You have been helpful," Loki told him grudgingly.

"Ah, that is not necessarily the case, Loki, I'm sorry if you misunderstood."

That earned him a sharp look from narrowed green eyes. "Explain."

He'd have to step carefully here. "The type of situation that encourages a feeling or emotion to develop does not necessarily affect whether that feeling or emotion is genuine. Only time can reveal whether this attraction you feel for Dr. Gunnarssen is simply a gratitude inspired infatuation or something deeper." Loki frowned and cracked his neck for what had to be the tenth time in the past fifteen minutes. "Are you still in pain?"

"It will fade, as will these…false feelings, I've no doubt."

"I'd like to run a scan to determine…"

"No."

"I'm concerned about nerve damage. That could cause permanent issues for you."

"I'm a god, doctor. I will heal." The self-proclaimed god smirked. "If you are that concerned, have Dr. Gunnarssen return. Her gifts can speed my healing."

"We've discussed this. Your belief that Dr. Gunnarssen manipulated you is detrimental…"

"And I've read your case studies and have accepted that my belief was unfounded. Bring her back."

"I can't do that; it would be detrimental for _her _mental well-being." Raj continued. "Do you understand that a professional must retain their objectivity with regards to the patients they treat?" Loki ignored him and turned his head to stare out the window again. "Loki, your accusations gave her cause to doubt herself. She can no longer treat you, not even as an energy healer."

"Then I-I have wronged the woman, I should apologize." The voice was cold and hard. "Surely an apology would serve us both well, doctor?"

… …

"Sir, Dr. Nassar has disengaged the lockdown from Loki's suite," Jarvis informed him.

"The hell you say." Tony Stark pushed away from his workbench and touched the screen to his right. A view of Kara Gunnarssen's – Loki's suite displayed. Loki was slouched in the armchair, one hand behind his neck, wearing a somewhat pained version of his normal superior expression. Raj was seated in one of the wrought iron chairs, leaning slightly forward in what appeared to be an earnest pose, speaking emphatically, but not urgently. "Humph, doesn't look like there's a problem. Noted, Jarvis. I'll check with Dr. Nassar when the session is done. Alert me and open the inner door for Hogun if Snidely makes any threatening moves towards the doctor."

"Of course, Sir."

He switched the view to the corridor outside of the suite. The taciturn warrior was standing with his arms crossed, hands resting on weapons, staring at the closed inner door. "Yo, Hogun," Tony greeted once he'd activated the audio. "Everything looks cool in there, Jarvis will pop the inner door open for you if that changes." Hogun's mouth twisted into a grimace, but he didn't otherwise respond. "Ah, cool, you know, because he's half Jotun, get it?"

Hogun's eyes closed briefly. "I indeed 'get it', man of iron. I am ignoring your foolishness."

Tony closed the audio connection. "No one appreciates genius anymore."

"I appreciate it," Pepper said from behind him.

He swiveled his work stool to face her. "That's good to know. My, you are looking absolutely ravishing, what's the occasion?"

She sighed. "The benefit for the small-business owners who have had insurance claims denied under act of war exclusions; you are supposed to be there in fifteen minutes. Why aren't you looking debonair yet?"

"I hate benefits. All they want is for me to write a check. Tell you what, I'll write the check, you deliver it, and we'll all be happy."

"I won't be happy. Besides which, they want to see the man who saved the city. Get your tux on, playboy. Don't forget to trim your goatee, it's gotten ragged."

"And what do I get out of this?" he grumped half-heartedly.

"The satisfaction of doing a good deed." She smiled when he snorted. "A chance to bask in the adulation of your adoring public," Pepper amended.

Tony stood, wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her cheek. "Better…"

"And a chance to see how ravishing I look under the lovely outfit I've charged to your account after we get back."

He blinked, decided to ignore the comment about who was paying for the dress, and grinned. "Now _that _is an incentive. Give me ten."

… …

Raj stopped in surprise as Tony Stark and Pepper Potts stepped off the elevator dressed in elegant evening attire. "Raj," Tony began. "Talk to me. Why did you lift the lockdown?"

"I don't believe it's useful, and it's causing unnecessary pain to the patient."

"Ooookay. Now, let's _pretend_ I don't care how much pain Gozer is in. Why isn't it useful? We're supposed to be containing him until Goldilocks gets his royal patootie back here."

Raj smiled. "I'm not on Kara's level, but I am a sensitive." Stark spread his hands questioningly. "I cannot use energy, but I can feel it. Quite frankly, Tony, Loki is still with us because he wishes to be." His smile broadened as the color drained from the billionaire's face. "Director Fury has agreed to meet with us in his office tomorrow morning regarding new developments. Please be there, nine sharp."

Stark stared at him for a moment then looked down the hall to where the Asgardian currently on duty, Hogun, stood waiting. "Hey, samurai, is that true? Is Loki able to pull from his bag of tricks again?"

Hogun shrugged. "That I do not know. But I agree; his demeanor is such that he is here of his own free will."

"So we can safely leave the lockdown off?" Tony asked.

The Asgardian's smile was grim and did not reach his eyes. "There is nothing safe when it comes to the God of Lies and Mischief."

"Okay, Christ, I don't have time for this right now. Uh, Hogun, if he tries anything and you think it will help; Jarvis will initiate the lockdown for you. Quite frankly, I don't give a shit if it causes him pain, capiche?"

"He means do you understand," Raj supplied at Hogun's puzzled look.

"Understood."

… …

Kara hated mystery meetings, particularly when they were called by Nick Fury, or in this case his shadow-in-command, Maria Hill. She suppressed a groan as she saw the last…well, the next to last person on Earth she wanted to run into come around the corner. "But, my lady," Fandral said to Natasha, who was scowling. "Surely a warrior of your skill would welcome the company of a warrior who can match her in _every way_?"

Natasha's eyes narrowed and Kara winced. Fandral seemed to be making a play for every reasonably attractive woman he encountered. He'd already been threatened by Tony for his attentions to Pepper, but the man had obviously learned nothing. Fortunately, Hawkeye was nowhere in the vicinity. Natasha would be free to discourage him on her own without getting angry at Clint for interfering. Suddenly Nat's lips quirked in a very feline, feral grin, uh oh. "You are so right. I would, now, where has Hogun gotten to? Oh, wait; he's guarding Loki. Hmm, I suppose I'll need to wait for Thor's return." Fandral stopped short with a forlorn expression as Nat quickened her pace. "Is he still following?" she hissed.

"No. Heading to Fury's meeting?" Kara told her.

"Where else. Shall we?"

She grinned and accompanied the other redhead down the hall. Fandral was still staring at the Black Widow's purposely swaying hips as they left him behind. "Any idea what the meeting is about?" Kara asked.

"I thought you would know, Raj Nassar asked for the meeting."

"Hmm, no, he didn't share. That's disturbing." They entered the Director's office and found Nick and Raj waiting for them, as well as Agent Hill and all of the Avengers other than Thor and Stark. She checked the clock. "Oh, good, we're not late."

"No," Fury agreed. "Stark is about to be. Have you seen…" he trailed off as Fandral strode into the room, his exuberance fully restored.

The roguish Asgardian looked around the room and then quickly claimed a seat directly across from Hill. This, she thought, was going to be entertaining. "Ah, lovely lady, might I know your name?" he asked, his features assuming a love-struck look.

Maria frowned at him. "Agent Hill," she said coldly and turned her attention back to the datapad she held.

… …

Nick Fury frowned at the Asgardian version of Errol Flynn. "Okay, people. We have a dilemma. Dr. Nassar is of the opinion that…" he broke off as Stark strolled in. The billionaire was wearing black jeans topped by a ratty dark grey sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up over his forearms. The reactor's glow was muted by the fabric. "Stark, do you not have clocks in your tower?"

His shrug was nonchalant. "Of course, but you can't rush genius."

Clenching his jaw, Nick continued. "Dr. Nassar informs me that the power dampening technology is only marginally effective on Loki. In addition, it may be causing him nerve damage. I do not want to explain to Thor why we subjected his brother to nerve damage if there is no justification for it." He glanced at Dr. Gunnarssen who had paled. "Doctor? You have a comment?"

She sighed. "Not a constructive one, no."

Fandral's annoying good humor had been squelched. "Director, if your technology cannot contain him, then the most Hogun or I could do is delay him should he get it in his head to cause problems here. Blade to blade we are more than his match, but unfettered, he will use magic we cannot counter."

Frowning, Nick watched Nassar and Gunnarssen confer in whispers. "Doctors?"

Raj Nassar smile was small, but it was there. "I do not believe we will have any problems, Loki wants to be there. He has had every opportunity to do harm to me, yet has not given in to his annoyance with my presence, and I assure you, I have been terribly annoying to him."

"And you recommend that the lockdown protocol not be engaged?"

"I must insist that it not be engaged."

Stark sighed. "He's gotten to you too, Raj? I didn't think you swung that way."

"Hardly. Loki refused to allow me to run a diagnostic scan on him to confirm my theory. However, I ran one on Kara last week. It is minor, but she has already suffered nerve damage from her exposure to the technology and that exposure was minimal. Loki has been subjected to it daily for two weeks now. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to cause harm, particularly since there is no purpose in it."

… …

Tony frowned and rubbed a hand over his face. "Shit. Kara, I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"Forget it, Tony," she told him. "You had no way of knowing and I did volunteer. But now that you know what it does…"

"Yeah, I know; back to the drawing board." He stared at her for a moment. "Okay, being objective, if you can, should I clear all but necessary personnel from the tower?"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Pepper is my friend. Do you really think I wouldn't tell you if I thought she wasn't safe?"

"You were the one who was in…"

"Don't go there, Tony," she warned, then broke off and pressed her fingers against her left temple.

"Kara?" Nassar said. "How bad?"

"Sharp, deep. It's fading now."

"You were trying to suppress again?" Raj continued.

"Duh. The last thing I want to do is set something on fire in the middle of the helicarrier."

Tony swallowed. "Jesus, Kara. I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"You never mean to hurt people, yet you do it repeatedly. It's getting old," she muttered.

"Yeah. Hey, Raj, when you disengaged the lockdown, I checked on you and Loki was in pain, just like Kara. Does that mean he was suppressing the urge to use some kind of mojo?"

"It does. As a therapist, I tend to annoy my patients by insisting they face truths they'd rather ignore. He was in pain frequently as a result."

"Okay, what the hell. The lockdown stays off."

… …

"There is one other thing we need to discuss," Raj told the group.

"I've told you my opinion on that, Dr. Nassar," Fury grated.

"You have. I do not agree with it." He waited, staring into the director's one eye until he gave a sharp nod. "Loki has requested a visit from Dr. Gunnarssen. He now accepts that he was mistaken and wishes to apologize to her. I believe that such an apology would benefit both of them."

Dr. Banner looked up from where he'd been scribbling on his touchpad. "Kara, can you handle that?"

She sighed. "I don't know, but I think I should go, regardless."

"I don't like it," Stark interjected.

"Stark, stand down," Captain Rogers spoke up for the first time. He had been sitting quietly at the far end of the table with Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton. Raj had noticed the trio paying close attention to everything, but declining to get involved in the discussion. "Your opinion…"

"It's my tower, I'm entitled to my opinion, flag boy. I'm the one whose digs are going to get trashed, again, I might add, if our nut job of a guest loses it."

"Doc," Clint asked, looking at Kara. "Can you and will you shut him down if he loses it?"

"Yes. I won't let anyone get hurt."

"Even if you have to hurt him?"

Her eyes drifted closed for a moment before she looked Barton in his. "If he acts out, I will make him stop, no matter what it takes."

Hawkeye exchanged a glance with Natasha Romanov, who nodded, and then he looked to Captain Rogers. "I say let her visit."

Raj looked around the table. Stark was obviously unhappy, as was Fury. The rest of the group was either noncommittal or grudgingly approving. "Can you clear your schedule this afternoon, Kara?"

… …

Author's notes:

Sorry for the delay, folks. Been plotting and working hard at the day job all week. This chapter is a bit choppier and longer than I'd like due to it trying to fit in two weeks of story time without going into too much boring detail.

The good news is that I have completed an outline for the remainder of the story! Also, for those who have been patiently waiting for the romance and the reason for the M-rating to seriously kick in, I promise it is coming soon and that (I hope) you won't be disappointed. Thanks for hanging in there!

I've finally come up with an Avengers code name for Kara, you'll be seeing that soon. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'd love to hear some offerings for snark names for Tony to use…I'm not nearly the snark-master he is, and I'd appreciate your help, dear readers. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to leave it in a review.

Thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

"What the hell…" Kara muttered as she walked into her outer office and found a metallic outfit hanging from a hook over the door that connected to her therapy room.

"Do you like it?" Tony Stark said from behind her.

"Um, I don't know. What is it?"

He sighed. "It's a uniform. You know, all the big kids have them."

"I'm not a real member of the Avengers, Tony."

"Of course you are. But you're a little…uh…"

"Vulnerable when I'm not able to react quickly enough to use my abilities?"

"Exactly. Hence the suit. It won't protect you completely from broken bones, but bullets and other non-explosive projectiles, bladed weapons, shrapnel, that sort of thing will be deflected for the most part. You'd bruise and maybe get a cracked rib or whatever, but you'd survive all of those things."

Kara leaned closer to poke at it. The surface was covered with overlapping scales, much like depictions of dragons. It was gold in tone, but with a peculiar iridescence that made it shimmer with reds and oranges as she turned it under the light. "Looks like it's on fire…appropriate." She looked back at him. "Whose idea was this?"

"Uh, well, it was a group effort. Banner reminded us all that even though your offensive gifts were radical, you didn't have any real defense. The Black Widow pointed out that you had no martial arts and only some basic self defense training so you couldn't count on instincts to protect you. Hawkeye told us he could take you out at a distance, even if you saw him he'd be able to get you before you could take him down. Rogers suggested the scales, your firestarter abilities reminds him of dragons, and Pepper chose the coloring and supplied your measurements."

"And you?"

He bowed. "Yours truly provided the technical know-how, the overall design, the actual construction, and paid the bills. And let me tell you, trying to test the damn thing without you seeing it has been a bitch. It has the same alloy in the scales as the Mark XIV, so your outfit won't get scorched by your own work. We don't have to worry about it roasting you with the heat since you can adjust your own body temperature. Have I told you that's the part I envy about your whole package of abilities?"

"No, but I can imagine it would be. Your spoiled rich boy butt does love to be comfortable."

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Tony dropped down to his knees and gave her his puppy dog look. "So, am I forgiven for being an ass?"

Kara sighed. "You're just going to be an ass again before the day is out. It's part and parcel of your personality. I really don't know how Pepper puts up with you." His pout intensified. "Oh, crap. Fine, you're forgiven, now knock that off."

He scrambled to his feet, chuckling. "Seriously, Kara. I'm only harping on the whole Loki thing because I'm worried about you. I know I've known you less than two months, but you're like a little sister to me, and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm a big girl, Tony. If I get hurt, it's my own damn fault, okay?"

"Can I kill the bastard if he purposely hurts you?"

"Only if he does it physically." She glared at him as he started to interrupt. "I mean it. If he fools me emotionally, that's on me. I'm the damned empath, I should be able to tell, and if I can't, it's my bad. Got it?"

She waited as he thought about it. "Okay, I've got it. I don't like it, but I'll back off." Tony grabbed the uniform and handed it to her. "Suit up and I'll fly you to Stark Tower."

… …

Loki frowned as he stared out the window. Stark was flying in, carrying someone dressed in an outfit that shimmered metallically in the sun. It was a woman, that much he could tell, the armor was formfitting. But the head was fully covered and a reflective visor prevented him from seeing her face. When the sun hit her it looked like she was on…fire. Kara. He stood and glared as they came in for a landing on the balcony a floor above and to the left of his position. Stark's armored hands were holding his passenger securely, but not in an overly familiar manner. He relaxed, sat back down and picked up his book. "Jarvis, where is Dr. Gunnarssen," he asked after reading a few chapters to give the pair time to enter and remove their armor.

"Dr. Gunnarssen is in the testing facility with Mr. Stark, your highness."

He snorted softly. The system was programmed for politeness and etiquette, and used it, unlike its creator. "Thank you." Loki felt mildly foolish responding with courtesies to the AI, but the thing seemed to be far more cooperative if he did so. Looking at the clock he decided a bath was in order. He'd been informed that Kara's visit would take place at two o'clock and it was just past noon. No doubt her new armor was in need of testing.

… …

Kara left the armor with Tony for follow-up testing after her debut flight and stopped in the guest room that now housed most of her spare clothing to change from the sweatpants and tee shirt she'd worn under the tight suit. She had a new appreciation for Tony's typical jeans and sweat or tee shirt ensemble. Approaching her old suite, she found Fandral on duty. Damn. "Good afternoon, Fandral," she managed with as neutral a tone as possible.

"My lady," he returned with a slight bow and a flirtatious smile. "I shall be ready to assist you, should you need it. Simply call and I will…"

She held up a hand to cut him off. "I won't need assistance. Didn't Thor tell you I put him on his knees with little effort?"

Fandral shifted uncomfortably. "He did, but…"

"He wasn't exaggerating. You can stand down and take a break. I've got this." He didn't move. "Fandral, that wasn't a request. "Go. Away. Now." she insisted, putting steel into her voice.

His eyes widened. Thor had told them to do what they were told by members of the Avengers Initiative, he and Hogun had admitted as much when they'd arrived. Finally, the man sighed. "As you wish, my lady." He spun and strode down the hall to the suite the two Asgardians shared.

She shook her head and opened the door to her old suite. Loki was nowhere to be found in the bedroom/sitting room combination area. Walking across the room she noticed a few changes. There were more and larger rugs on the floor. A bookshelf had been moved in and held a small selection of hardbound books. A computer keyboard sat on the table, along with a wireless mouse. Taking another step she kicked over a small stack of books she hadn't seen on the floor. "Crap," she muttered as it tumbled over.

"Damnation. Does no one in this tower have the simple courtesy to knock?" she heard Loki snarl from the bathroom.

"Excuse me, you're the one who asked me to visit. If you've changed your mind I'll leave," she huffed before thinking about it and spun to head back out the door.

"Wait," he said from behind her. The door refused to open. "I thought it was Stark again. I apologize. I was not expecting you for another hour."

She sighed and tried not to shiver at the change in his tone. Turning, her resolution to remain in control faltered. His face was no longer bruised or drawn and he stood tall and strong. Damn, he looked…mouthwatering. "I didn't think you'd mind if I was early."

"No, of course not." He stood, staring at her, his expression pensive.

"So, I'm here."

"You are. I-would you like to sit?" he asked.

"Depends. Why?"

"Oh for…" he stopped and frowned. "I asked you here because I've learned I accused you unjustly. I now understand that you did not manipulate me in any way."

Kara stared at him, trying to read what lay beneath his controlled exterior. He was in total turmoil. Good, at least she wasn't the only one. "Apology accepted. Are we done here?"

"What? No…I mean…that…" he trailed off, looking miserable. "That wasn't a sufficient apology for the hurt I unintentionally inflicted. I made you feel that you could not control your abilities when I already knew you considered yourself a monster. That was…uncalled for."

Her eyes closed. He actually understood what he'd done, and it felt as if he really regretted it. Would wonders never cease. "I'm glad you can see that."

He shrugged. "I-I owe you a secret," he said. "You shared what you hated most about yourself. I should return that confidence."

"Should I sit down?"

Loki smiled. "Probably. It will be something of a shock."

"Okay." She crossed the room to the chairs that still sat by the window. He followed and she shivered as a wave of cold flowed from behind her. Turning to see where it was coming from she gasped. Loki's skin had turned a cool cyan blue, it looked smoother for the most part, and less supple. Slight ridges had arisen along the brow line and cheek bones. Even more surprising was the liquid blood red color of both his irises and sclera. Lifting a hand, she reached out to touch him.

"No!" he said and backpedaled, almost falling over the stack of books she had knocked over earlier. Only the wrought iron footboard of the bed saved him from landing on his rear. The metal frosted over.

Kara flinched back. "Fine, you don't have to yell. I get it, you don't want the mortal laying hands on you." As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice, damn it.

Loki regained his feet and sighed. "That's not it at all. You could have been badly hurt. I don't want you losing fingers or even your entire arm to frostbite."

"Oh. Are-are you really that cold?" she asked.

He gave her a confused look. "Yes, can you not feel it?"

She shrugged. "Well, kind of. Remember the eggs?" Kara waited until he nodded. "I can adjust my body temperature in a similar way, it's automatic. I don't need a coat in the winter, though I usually wear a lightweight one just so I don't freak people out and attract unwanted attention." She stepped closer. "I'd really like to try and touch you if you don't mind. I promise I'll pull back if I have any doubt about it being safe."

… …

Could she really touch him without harm? That would be…interesting. "Very well. But please, err on the side of caution. I have no wish to be blamed for injuring you."

Kara smiled up at him. "I will. And you, tell me if the heat is too much. I don't want to hurt you either."

"Fair enough." He stood and braced himself to ensure he wouldn't flinch back from her touch. She raised her hand and moved it slowly toward him.

"Hold up your hand like this," she said, demonstrating. He mirrored the stop-like gesture and waited. "Okay, here goes." She moved her hand closer a bit at a time, seeming to test her tolerance. "Too much heat?" she asked.

He could feel her palm radiating a great deal of heat, but it felt comfortable. "No, it's fine."

"Good."

Her hot palm touched his cold one and he shivered. "You, your hand isn't freezing," he whispered incredulously.

Kara smiled. "No, it feels cold, but not painfully so." Too soon she pulled her hand away, examined it, then held it up for him to see. "No damage whatsoever."

"Amazing." He was staring at her hand, shocked, and almost didn't realize she'd started to move again until she was centimeters from him. "Kara, what…" he broke off as her free hand touched his face.

"Your skin…except for the ridges it's so smooth, like glass, and so much harder than when you're in your Asgardian form." She smiled and stroked his jaw. "Except for that, and the coloring, you still look just like you."

"My so-called Asgardian form is a lie. I'm not Asgardian. I'm not even a proper Jotun, I'm deformed."

"You are not a deformed Jotun. You're half Asgardian, half Jotun. We did a full DNA work up on you. We're absolutely positive."

Half? He let the knowledge wash through him. It wasn't Odin's magic that had given him an Asgardian appearance, it was a natural part of him. He shook his head slightly and closed his eyes in an effort to accept this new reality. His eyes flew back open as soft lips brushed against his. "Kara?" he whispered.

"You're not a monster, Loki," she told him, her upturned face scant millimeters from his. "You're just different." He let himself relax as she kissed him again. "And you're beautiful. In either form."

He groaned as her heat seeped through him in more ways than one. Crushing her to his chest, he deepened the kiss, tangling one hand in her hair. She granted him entrance to her mouth and he took full advantage, plundering it with his tongue, swallowing her sudden pleasured moans. Her head dropped back as he released her lips and Loki feasted on the soft skin of her bared neck. Her pounding pulse beckoned and he nipped and sucked above the vein until she shuddered in his grasp. One of her graceful hands clung to his neck, the other was pressed flat against his chest…pushing him away?

… …

"God, Loki, stop. Dizzy, have to…" she gasped.

Loki let her slide down until her feet were back on the floor, but her legs wouldn't hold her. His strong arms scooped her up and she soon felt the bedspread beneath her. "Kara, what's wrong, are you hurt?"

She blinked and struggled to focus. A warm hand rested on her neck, a voice spoke urgently. Warm? Loki's face swum into focus, he had reverted to his Asgardian form. The bright green eyes looked as worried as their owner felt. "Fine, I'm fine. Just dizzy." Kara took stock of her physical and energetic bodies; the latter was significantly depleted, no wonder she felt faint.

"What happened? Did I hurt you? Should I call for assistance?"

"No, I'll be fine. Didn't realize how draining that would be, that's all." He still looked concerned. If he'd been human, she would have thought him one step away from panic. Since he was Loki, crap, he was probably blaming himself. "God, I keep making things worse for you. They should just suspend my license, I'm not even practicing and I'm still doing harm. I'm such a mess."

"What harm are you talking about?" he asked, his tone and feel shifting to puzzled annoyance.

"Oh damn, I said that out loud?" She groaned and turned away from his piercing gaze. "It was my fault, I'm okay, really."

"If you're all right, tell me what happened," he said softly. One of his lean hands brushed her hair back and then trailed down her cheek to gently turn her face back in his direction. "Talk to me, sweet lady," Loki insisted.

She sighed and reached up to touch his now warm cheek. "I never had to compensate for that much cold all at one time before. I didn't realize how draining it would be energetically and I'd already had a long and difficult day before I even headed over here." Shrugging, she traced the sharp angle of his jaw and tried not to remember how good being held so close to him had felt. "I would have eventually passed out. I think my system would have kept compensating, but I don't know for sure. I've never taxed it that much before."

"Hmm. Then we'd best not do that again." He sat down on the edge of the bed capturing the hand that had been stroking his face in his. "I-Thank you. I'd thought I would never have physical contact in that form without harming the one I touched. This was such an incredible gift."

That didn't make sense. "Couldn't you touch a Jotun without hurting them?"

Loki's expression and energy closed off. "Certainly. If I wanted to risk death. I am probably hated in Jotunheim even more so than on Asgard or Midgard." He stared blankly at the far wall. "I stupidly sought to destroy them, I'm not certain why. It wouldn't have changed who or what I am. Thor had to destroy the Bifröst to save their realm."

Kara used his hand to pull herself up. "I'm so sorry. Finding out about, well, everything, must have been so damn painful." His energy shifted again giving her the courage to wrap her arms around his neck and touch her nose to his. "I know you've still got the tribunal hanging over your head, Loki, but please. Try to forgive yourself. You were hurt, horribly, your life had just been turned upside down. I know a bit about how that feels."

He snorted, but didn't pull away. "You killed the men who attacked you, who caused you that pain. I tried to destroy an entire race."

"A race you'd been taught to hate and fear and suddenly found yourself a part of. It's not an excuse, but it is a reason."

A shudder ran through him before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his chest. "I could hear the screams, you know. A shrieking vibration echoing through my skull and down my spine." She pressed her lips to his chin and he smiled. "Kara, does the knowledge of what I've done not sicken you?"

"I can't sit in front of a fire of any kind without smelling burning human flesh. I can't go anywhere near a burn ward in a hospital without vomiting. For almost two months after I was attacked I was catatonic with the horror of it all. But with all of that, I felt not one bit of remorse, I may hate what I did, but I'm not really sorry."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I am sorry about the Jotun. Oh, not about Laufey, his misdeeds are too numerous to count, his abandonment of me is probably the least among them. But the people as a whole, that I regret. I am grateful to my…Thor for saving them."

"He's the brother of your heart if not of your blood, Loki. I know it's hard, but could you please at least try to stop denying him? It wasn't his fault. Odin, yes, even I'm pissed at him, but Thor is as much a victim as you are. Promise me you'll at least try to let that much go."

Kara shivered as his lips met hers. "I'll try, sweet lady." She felt her heart melting under his kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** At the top this time with a **_caveat._** This story is **_rated M_** and this chapter is why. If you don't want to read the detailed smexy, **_skip this chapter_**. It's hot.

**Additional Note 11/15/12:** My PC crashed and I lost the work I'd done on Chapter 15 after I was forced to do a systems restore. Gah. So, I have to recreate Chapter 15 from scratch. There will be, unfortunately, a delay. Sorry, folks!

... ...

This hadn't gone at all the way Loki had planned it. He'd thought to apologize, confirm that he felt nothing but gratitude for the woman, acknowledge his appreciation for her beauty and compassion, and that would be that. His first inkling that he might be in trouble was when he'd found himself fisting his hands when he'd realized she was Stark's closely held passenger upon their arrival. But that was only the barest hint that things were not going his way. Loki looked down at the woman who had dozed off in his embrace. Well, not going as he'd planned, at any rate. "What have you done to me, sweet girl," he murmured to himself.

Kara sighed and snuggled in closer, her lips rested against his neck. It felt so right, like nothing he'd ever imagined. Not that it mattered. Eventually Odin would decide he'd stewed long enough, have him retrieved, and likely throw him in the dungeons for a good thousand years. Loki grimaced. Or exile him to Jotunheim and let those he'd truly wronged take out their wrath upon him. The dungeon was infinitely preferable. That, at least, he had a hope of surviving long enough to be pardoned. Though not within Kara's brief lifetime. Warm lips trailed up his neck to his jaw. "Why so sad?" she whispered.

He turned so they could look at each other comfortably. "I have no say in my fate. Or yours. I have no future and my past is a lie."

It's not a lie, Loki," Kara insisted. "It's a mess, but…"

Not wanting another lecture, Loki captured her lips and kissed her until she gasped for breath. "Done preaching to me?" he asked.

"I'm not preaching…I just hate that you're so unhappy."

"There's naught that can be done about it. Though you could make me feel much better about my present."

She gave him a suspicious look. "Could I? How?"

Loki chuckled. She could read him like one of the well-worn books that Stark had lent him. "It occurred to me that I owe you the gift of my life. I'd like to give you an equal gift, or as equal as one can get without your life being on the line."

Kara's eyebrows rose. "Why do I think you're going to say something totally outrageous?"

"Because, as they say, you have my number."

"No doubt. Okay, go ahead, be outrageous so I can shut you down and we can move on."

"I hope you'll give my proposal greater consideration than that."

"Loki, out with it. Don't test the redhead's patience. You do realize this hair color is mother nature's way of warning men not to cross us?"

He laughed. "I did not know that, but I am grateful for her kindness in giving that warning." Sobering, he caressed her soft cheek. "You have only half a life because you fear you will lose control and hurt any man you become close to."

"It's more of a life than…"

"Shhh," he said, placing two fingers across her mouth. "Don't berate yourself. I don't appreciate it any more than you do when I do it." He waited for her agreement. "I propose that I show you that you can trust yourself. That you can lose yourself in pleasure without one of these flashbacks, that you can, when you find the right man, give your heart without fear."

"I don't know, that would be so dangerous."

Nodding, Loki kissed the side of her mouth. "I know it. That's what makes it a worthwhile gift. Don't start," he told her as she frowned and opened her mouth to object. "Kara, if it seems you are starting to panic, having one of these attacks, I will do two things. First, I'll shift forms. That will pull your energy back to protect you from the cold. This will give me time to shift myself from this room into another so that you can't focus your fire upon me. I should be safe enough."

Kara frowned thoughtfully, then sighed. "Should be. But what if you're not?"

"There's a good chance that Odin will exile me to Jotunheim. I would not survive it. Truthfully, dying at your hands would be preferable except for the knowledge of the anguish it would cause you." He frowned as she set her jaw into what he'd come to recognize as her stubborn expression. "Kara, please. You need to know. Don't tell me you haven't envied other women their loves. I cannot believe that a woman as compassionate as you does not wish for love and a family of her own."

"Of course I do. I-I'm not sure about kids, I've never really spent any time with small children or babies. But love, of course I…want that." He stared as tears welled up in her eyes. "Do you really think he'll do that to you?"

"I don't know. I suppose it depends on how helpful he feels I've been in preventing the Chitauri's masters from pursuing their invasion plans."

"Why won't you explain what really happened, what your plan was? I understand that it didn't turn out totally the way you expected, but if we knew what was supposed to happen, maybe…"

"Leave off, sweet Kara. Please." Loki frowned sternly at her until she nodded. "Now, will you welcome me into your arms, my lady?"

… …

Kara took a deep breath. She'd almost blurted out that she already loved…him. So stupid. Everything she did with this man had been so very, very wrong even though it felt so incredibly right. He had a point. She did need to know and even if she didn't have a future with him, if he was right and she could control her fire, she would have memories of what it was like to have him love her, if only physically. It would have to do. It was selfish, it was greedy, but she wanted anything and everything she could get from him. She swallowed nervously. "Yes," she finally managed.

"I won't pretend I don't get anything out of this," Loki murmured as he nudged her face to the side and nibbled on her earlobe. "I fully expect you to be an amazing lover."

She nearly choked on her laugh. "Don't expect too much, I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Good. Women who think they know what they're doing generally…do not. Don't suppress your instincts and you will be perfection itself."

"My instincts…"

"Will serve you well," he scolded. "Don't confuse an instinctive reaction to pleasure with protective instincts. I promise you, your body will know the difference, hmm?"

Gasping as he began aggressively nuzzling and suckling the skin of her neck, Kara muttered "H-hope you're right."

Dratted man laughed outright as he began unbuttoning her blouse. "About this, I'm never wrong," he assured her. Loki pushed the material back to expose her lacy underwire bra. His eyebrows rose. "Quite lovely." He lazily traced the line of her breasts above the material and smiled as she felt her cheeks heat. "Ah, did perhaps one of the other ladies insist you have this?"

Closing her eyes Kara admitted it. "Yes, Pepper and Nat both insisted I needed new underwear."

"Let me guess, the lovely Black Widow then raided your belongings and absconded with all of your practical underclothing so that you could not continue to wear it," he said as he played with the front hook that was all that restrained the full globes beneath.

"Except for some designed for exercise," she agreed, gasping again as he flicked the hook open and the material parted. Kara watched his expression as her breasts were bared. She'd stopped monitoring his emotions. She really didn't want to know it was only lust; she told herself that she understood that he could not possibly feel anything more for a woman who would be dead in fewer years than he would generally bother to count.

His eyes brightened and his lips curved into a smile. "Beautiful," he said as he caressed the exposed flesh. "Abundant, soft, so very…enticing," he whispered as he leaned down. She shivered as he flicked one already hardening nipple with his tongue then nipped it lightly. "You liked that."

"Yes," she managed, a quaver in her voice.

Loki looked up at her and smiled. "Don't be afraid, I will manage to stop if you ask." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Don't say stop, though. It's too easy to tell yourself your partner is saying 'don't stop'. If you're afraid or panicking or if anything hurts, say 'hurts' as loudly as you can manage. I will stop, I swear it."

"O-okay."

"Good." His head dipped back down and his lips closed firmly around one nipple. He tugged at it until she found herself whimpering. His eyes flicked up for a moment, assessing until she smiled. "That's my girl," he said, releasing it and moving to the other. She could feel her insides beginning to tighten…an ache growing at her core. Loki's teeth nipped the flesh of her other breast before he began teasing and suckling that nipple into hardness. She couldn't hold back a moan as the incredible feeling traveled from her breast down to her sex. "My Kara enjoys titillation," he said, sounding terribly smug. His long fingers closed over both globes and massaged them somewhat roughly.

Kara moaned even louder when he slid an arm beneath her, took the first nipple back into his mouth, and trailed his long fingers down her body to tease under the waistband of her jeans. Embarrassingly enough, she could feel wetness gathering in her panties. "God, Loki. What are you doing to me?" she asked breathlessly.

He glanced up from his task and smiled. "I am going to make you absolutely shatter with pleasure, love." She shivered, wishing he could mean that word as more than a casual endearment.

Both of his hands were at her waist now, unbuttoning and unzipping the denim fly. Then he slipped one hand behind her and easily lifted her lower half up so that he could slide the material off of her hips and down her thighs. "So strong," she was surprised into saying aloud. He gave her a questioning look. "Didn't realize how physically strong you were."

"Ah. Does that frighten you?" he asked.

"No, it's…kind of nice."

"Good." The ridiculous lace panties that Nat had insisted were an appropriate match for the bra were removed next. Loki's smile widened when he felt the now soaking wet crotch. "You want me."

Her laugh seemed to surprise him. "I never said I didn't," she smiled. "Why do you think I kept messing everything up?"

… …

Comprehension dawned. "You've wanted me from the first day I kissed you…or before."

Kara's blush deepened, spreading down her neck and those oh so full and tempting breasts. "Yes, but I told myself I couldn't have you…on so many levels, for so many reasons."

"Good." Loki smiled as his lady's jaw dropped. "It is not conceit, Kara. I'm simply glad I'm not convincing you to accept something you truly didn't want."

"Oh. I do want you, Loki. I-I need you, more than anything or anyone."

Loki felt as if his heart faltered, just for just a second. He'd never felt needed before. "Sweet lady, you honor me," he whispered, dropping kisses on her curved belly. He smiled when he noticed the small hoop that pierced the flesh of the depression of her navel. "Romanov again?" he asked.

"No, that was Pepper's idea," she muttered as her hips squirmed under his now questing fingers.

"Really? I'm…surprised." Shaking his head he resumed kissing the creamy flesh as his fingers parted her already wet folds. After the discovery of the navel piercing, he was not surprised to find the womanly curls well trimmed. Not removed, thankfully. He'd always felt that was disrespectful to a woman's natural beauty. Kara wriggled as his fingers teased her clitoris and he smiled at her gasp. "Have you never pleasured yourself, sweet lady?" he had to ask.

"Not much…I-it, well…"

"The loss of control frightened you, I understand," he told her. "Relax, love. You will lose control to me, but you'll do it willingly and joyfully, and I will not let you harm anyone. Enjoy, it will all be good, I promise you."

"Yes, Loki," she whispered.

He smiled at the trust in her voice. Another novelty. Someone who had believed him and trusted him from the first day they'd spoken. It would be a fitting gift to teach her to trust herself. Loki spread her folds wide for access and dipped his head down so that he could flick her sex with his tongue. Her body jerked in surprise as a moan was wrenched from her parted lips. Keeping her nub bared with the fingers of one hand, he gently pressed his index finger into her canal, slowly, carefully so as not to spook her. She arched her back in response, pressing her sex up against his waiting mouth. "Beautiful," he murmured.

Loki focused his full attention on her clit, her early responses to its stimulation had been…inspiring. She rolled her hips under him as he sucked, teased, and nibbled the small bud. Her juices had soaked the finger gently thrusting in her canal to the point where he felt she could easily tolerate a second. Kara moaned as two fingers thrust deeply inside her and raised her hips to meet them. He smiled as he felt one of her delicate hands fist in his hair as she shivered and began to buck in reaction. She was ready. Pulling away, he had to grin at her reaction. "What…why?" she muttered.

"Shhh," he soothed. "Do you not want more?" Her lips pouted in a way guaranteed to make him smile.

"Yes, I want more of that," she insisted, sounding rather grumpy.

"Ah. As you wish." Dropping back down he resumed his oral attack. He wanted so badly to be inside her, but was realizing she needed to lose control first, while she knew he was still in control of himself and able to escape if needed. Smiling as her whimpers increased, he was rewarded with a gush of fluids as her control finally shattered.

… …

Kara choked back a scream as her body began to spasm. Her insides tightened beyond pain to a pleasure she never could have imagined as Loki continued to lick and suckle her clit. His long fingers had stilled inside her, pressing up and hard against the center of her pleasure as she felt hot fluid soak her thighs. All that she could find the breath to mutter was: "More!"

Loki laughed and lifted his face from between her legs. She flushed as she realized he was soaked with her come. "That is enough of that, I think," he decided. "Felt good, hmm?"

"M-marvelous," she managed with only a slight stutter. He sat up and pulled his shirt off. She hadn't realized he was still fully dressed. The shirt was tossed aside and he was standing beside the bed as his slacks dropped to the floor, quickly followed by a pair of black close-fitting briefs. There was nothing 'brief' about what was revealed and her eyes widened. "Um…oh…my." Reaching up as he knelt back on the bed, she ran both hands over the taut muscles that defined almost every inch of his body. "So…perfect. Like Michelangelo's David, only with, well, much, uh, more."

"Hmm, I've been told that I'm far too scrawny," he mused.

"Humph. I've seen scrawny, Loki. You are not it." She smiled and carefully stroked his erect member. "So hard and soft at the same time," she breathed. "Like a silky velvet." Kara rubbed her thumb around the helmet-like head and chuckled as his abdominals rippled. "You like?"

"Gods, yes." He gasped as she experimentally gripped his shaft and stroked up and down it. "Damn it, woman, stop. This is supposed to be about your pleasure."

"Believe me, I'm pleased."

Loki groaned. "I'm certain, but you won't be if you continue and I cannot…continue, that is, so stop, for now. You can play later." Kara attempted a playful pout and was rewarded by his laugh. "Don't, love. You will undo me. Lay back now, hmm?"

She laid back and was rewarded by a searing kiss. Moaning, Kara parted her lips for his questing tongue and slipped a hand behind his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Rubbing the palm of her other hand over his chest and the small hard nipples made him moan in return. Her head dropped back as he changed his target to just below her ear. She whimpered as wet heat shot through her yet again. "God, Loki, that is so…"

"Definitely your sweet spot," he said giving the throbbing skin a last nip as he moved back down to her breasts.

"Sweet…? Oh, erogenous zone, we call it."

"I prefer our term. Simpler, more descriptive," he broke off to suckle an already distended nipple, pulling another groan from her. More wetness trickled down her thighs. He moved to the other, tugged on it and flicked it with his tongue. "I do believe you have the largest nipples I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying…and yes, that is a compliment. So beautiful," he finished with a whisper.

"Loki, I-I really think I'm ready," she muttered as frustration built within her.

He smiled, trailing a lazy finger down her abdomen to her already dripping sex. "Yes, you are. But we're going to take it as slowly as I can manage, this time." This time he was able to slide two fingers into her slick canal with relative ease, and he began to thrust them slowly while pressing into her clit with his thumb. She felt her hips lift as the amazing sensations began to spin her out of control. Then he shifted, and his free hand pressed her one thigh up and back and he moved to kneel between her spread legs. Putting pressure on the raised leg with his own, he then moved the other thigh into position, never pausing in the rhythm of his thrusting fingers.

A wave of unease slipped through her. "Loki, I-I'm afraid."

"How afraid, love?" Loki asked. "Nervous or truly frightened?" His hand continued preparing her as he awaited her answer.

"I-nervous, I guess."

"That's all right, then. Being loved is a new experience for you, being nervous is natural," he soothed, shifting his body forward to lean above her on one strong arm. "I won't hurt you, Kara. I swear to you, I will never intentionally hurt you."

Her eyes closed as the sincerity rolled off of him so strongly that it penetrated the shields she'd erected to avoid accidentally reading him. "I know."

Loki smiled and she felt his fingers abandon her sex. He shifted again, and she felt the pressure of something much larger pressing against her dripping canal. "Easy, love. I'm taking it slow." The pressure grew, but true to his word he pressed in slowly, allowing her to adjust to the unaccustomed intrusion at her own pace. It seemed to take a lifetime, but finally he stopped and bent his head to softly kiss her lips. She discovered she was panting when he smiled. "That's not so bad, is it?"

She stared at him, wondering if he'd lost his mind. "Bad?" she managed. "God, no…so…full…feels…" she couldn't find a word to describe the indescribable. Gasping, Kara shuddered as he slowly pulled back, then moaned as he pressed back in, just a bit less slowly than before. She whimpered, knowing that something she wanted and badly, was just out of reach, even if she didn't know exactly what it was.

… …

Loki groaned as he slowly thrust into her wet heat yet again. His sweet lady was whimpering with pleasure, he was certain it was safe to take her more aggressively, but he was enjoying her rapt expression far too much to rush it. Another slow thrust and withdrawal had her hips rocking. He wanted to laugh with the knowledge that he had so much power over her. Power. Damnation. This was not about power, this was about pleasure, her pleasure, and he would _not _forget it. He put his lips to her sweet spot, and sucked again on the soft skin. He'd already left a mark, but the conservative necklines she favored would not expose it. "So sweet, so sensual," he whispered in her ear.

"God, Loki, please! I want, I want…oh god," she muttered almost incoherently before she subsided into moan punctuated whimpers again.

"Yes, love. It's time, easy now, let yourself go, I won't let you hurt anyone, I swear." She nodded between whimpers and he began to increase the tempo of his thrusts. It was his turn to groan as the friction of her sweet flesh clinging to his cock sent spasms of pleasure through his groin. He thrust harder and faster as her head began to thrash, and found himself moving to a tempo more appropriate for an experienced lover at her passionate response. His head swam with the sensations that ran through him and he found himself losing all control.

Kara's mouth dropped open in a soft scream as he came back to himself, found he was pounding into her with far more force than he had intended. But she was loving it. "Yesss," she hissed, "more, please more…" He laughed and obliged, allowing himself to give her everything he could for as long as he could hold out. Her tensed body began to buck and spasm beneath him, and she sobbed with pleasure. Her small hands gripped him hard enough that had he been mortal, she would surely have left painful bruises. He was at the edge and she was over it and staying over, her orgasm seemed never ending.

Loki let himself go, and yelled as he exploded within her. "Gods, Kara, so…so perfect, love. So…mine." He caught himself, barely, before he collapsed on top of her. The weight of his denser muscles and bones would have done damage. Dropping to the side, he soothed her still trembling body until her whimpers began to subside. "Easy, love," he whispered as he gathered her in his arms. "All is well, rest sweet lady."


	15. Chapter 15

Kara faded back into consciousness with a hard male chest under her cheek. She sighed. "I fell asleep again," she mumbled.

"It was more of a faint," Loki answered. "Was I too rough with you?"

"What? No, not at all. Seriously, I fell asleep. I was still drained, energetically. And then all of, well, you know, it was kind of overwhelming."

She felt his muscles move as he shrugged. "Of course it was; you are mortal."

"What?" Kara sat up to glare at him. His eyes were bright and there was just the tiniest bit of a twitch in the corner of his mouth. "Oh for...you were teasing me, weren't you?"

The smile emerged. "I was. You're an empath, what took you so long to realize it?"

"I don't generally go around reading people if I can help it. It's rude, so I shield against it, as much as I can." She found herself sighing again. "And sometimes, I just don't want to know."

"Hmm. I'd never considered how awkward it must be. Most healers in Asgard are loners. I suppose that's why." His arm tightened about her waist and he drew her back down as he turned over on his side to face her. Once she was settled, he brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek. "Do you believe you can trust in yourself now?" he asked.

"Yes. If I didn't lose control in the middle of all of that, I won't lose it at all from having sex."

"Having...hmm. Of course not." He sounded almost...grumpy.

"What?"

"I suppose I do not care for your euphemisms."

"What euphemism?" He was the most confusing damn man. "Loki, I'm sorry if I'm missing something or offending you somehow, but your culture and how you think about things is beyond my experience."

"It matters little." She had a bad feeling it mattered a lot, but his expression had closed off and she didn't want to push him. People with his temperament tended to react badly when pushed. He was still holding her close and was absently playing with her hair rather than moving away, so she couldn't have annoyed him too greatly. "When will your things be moved back in," he asked.

Uh oh. Biting her lip she searched for a good way to answer. "I'm afraid that isn't going to happen." He frowned and gave her a searching look. "They won't allow it, Loki, you know that…"

"I know no such thing. I need you here."

"I'm sorry. I've already made enough of a mess of things with you. They aren't going to...oh my God..." she trailed off thinking of how badly the fecal matter was going to hit the rotating device if Fury realized what she'd done.

... ...

Loki frowned at the miserable expression on his lady's face. "Having regrets?" he asked, managing to keep his tone indifferent.

"What? No, of course not. I-I'm going to be in so damn much trouble, but...no, I don't regret this, not at all."

Relief swept through him. He decided to change tactics. "Kara, do you know what I do all day here, every day?" She shook her head mutely. "Nothing. I have read enough books to make my eyes bleed. Your entertainment industry simply isn't. There is no one to converse with, and the sheer inactivity is pushing the limits of my tolerance."

"I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. It wasn't her fault. "If you cannot return to these rooms, perhaps you could at least return to the building, spend time with me?" Clenching his jaw, he forced his tone to remain even and schooled his expression to indifference.

"Nick Fury will never allow it. He didn't want me to come today; he was overridden by Dr. Nassar and the team."

Loki allowed himself a small grin. "Tell him you'll live up to your code name if he refuses."

... ...

Kara caught herself before she blew her opportunity by asking him what he meant. "Hmm, in what way?" she asked instead.

He shrugged. "You told those pathetic beasts you would bring them hell on earth, so, go into Hellbringer mode. Oh, don't threaten to set him afire, I know that would weigh on your conscience, but tell him you'll bring hell to his personal effects if he tries to control where you do or do not reside."

Hellbringer. Closing her eyes tiredly she thought about it. "Huh, I guess I deserve that one."

"What?"

"Loki, how did you know what they'd chosen as my code name?"

He frowned. "You must have mentioned it when you..."

"Uh, no. I didn't know what it was until just now, they've all refused to tell me. And don't try to tell me that anyone here told you, you've just said they won't talk to you." Kara groaned as he pulled away from her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, Loki, you didn't."

"I had nothing better to do with my time," he muttered, his expression turning...petulant?

She couldn't help it. Her lips twitched with the effort to hold it back, but the giggle escaped. His glare only made it worse and she collapsed with laughter.

"When do you think you might be able to stop laughing at me?" he asked testily.

"What?" His angry and hurt tone sobered her. "Oh, I wasn't laughing at you." She snickered again. "They're idiots. I can't believe it. Did you first hack into the S.H.I.E.L.D. system about a week and a half ago?"

"Did I what?"

"Enter their system without permission."

"Ah. Yes." He glared again when she stifled another giggle. "I was bored."

"And that's what's so damn funny. They left a god of mischief to his own devices for two weeks, let him get bored, then gave him internet access, and have been running around like chickens without heads trying to figure out who managed to hack into their system." She frowned. "Oh, did you hack into Tony's system, too?"

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Perhaps."

"Hmm. Jarvis, does Mr. Stark know who hacked into his system?" she asked the AI.

"No, Dr. Gunnarssen."

"Do you know?"

"Of course, doctor. It was our guest, Prince Loki."

"Did Mr. Stark ask you who did it?"

"He did not. I believe he has taken it as a personal challenge."

"Makes sense. Thank you Jarvis." Still smirking she turned back to Loki. "I've got my leverage," she told him.

… …

Bruce Banner looked up as Kara stalked into the den. She seemed to be vastly amused about something. That was a good sign. He'd been worried that Loki would pull more of his blame everyone but himself crap and dump on Kara again. "Hey," he offered quietly as he continued to maneuver the controls on the game. Fandral and Hogun were intent on the action and didn't even glance up.

Stark looked up, though. "Hey, sparky, how goes it?"

"That's something I should be asking you," she said with a smirk. "I thought you were spending all of your spare time tracking a hacker?" Kara took a step closer to the group and picked up the box that had held the disks. "Halo 6? I thought Halo 4 was the big thing?"

"It is," Bruce agreed. "Tony knows the designer and we're doing the beta on an early prototype of 6. Halo 5 should be hitting the stores on Black Friday."

"And, I am," Tony said. "Tracking the hacker, that is. I've got algorithms running to trace his ISP. Really freaking me out, so far he's a ghost…not even a nibble on the ISP, he must be running a shadow system."

"Hmm, a shadow system? Like yours?" she asked. Bruce did a double-take at her tone. The amusement was spilling out.

"Yes like…son of a bitch." Tony dropped his controller and lunged for his touchscreen. Grinning, Bruce decided he'd better hit the pause on the game. Tony was frenetically moving data around on three different screens now. "I'll kill him."

"No you won't. You're impressed, admit it," Kara said between snickers.

"I-I am. Damn it. And I gave him the goddamn tools to do it." Stark's face was a picture of consternation. "Oh, shit. Did he hit S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system too?"

"He did. By the way, Hellbringer? Whose idea was that?"

Bruce coughed. "Uh, that was Maria's idea. She said being on the receiving end of your empathic projections was psychological hell."

… …

"Humph. She volunteered," Kara told him, and smiled as Bruce held his hands up in mock surrender.

"So, why is Jack Frost hacking us? Checking out our weapons systems? Looking for weaknesses? What?" Tony asked her.

Kara shrugged. "It was a challenge, I suppose. He's bored stiff."

"Big deal. I get bored all the time, you…"

"Find some kind of challenge to occupy your time?" she finished for him.

"Stark?" Fandral began from where he and Hogun had been following the conversation, looking back and forth as they spoke as though they were watching a tennis match. "A bored god of mischief is a dangerous thing." Kara smirked. Fandral had finally stopped calling Tony 'man of iron', that was a relief.

"Yeah, Casanova, I got that." Tony ran a hand through his hair. "What the hell do we do with him?"

She sat down on the back of the couch. "You could start by letting him leave the suite. It's not like we can keep him there if he really wanted to leave. Taking meals with everyone else would help some; give him some interaction, conversation. Other than that, we find someone who has time to keep him company and keep him out of trouble that won't be itching to kill him every other second."

"That lets out the Hardy boys, here and Banner's busy…even if our problem child wouldn't spend all day wondering if he was going to get pounded into my floor again. Soldier boy is off with Hawkeye and Black Widow making the rounds of those other sites and I'm sure as hell not letting Pepper do it, even if I didn't need her to run my company." Tony finally subsided and glared at her.

"Guess that leaves me."

"Fury is going to blow a gasket."

… …

"I don't think this is a good idea," Loki muttered as he combed his dark hair back.

Kara sighed. While she had figured he'd be resistant, the litany of complaints was getting on her nerves. "Do you or do you not want to get out of this room for a while?"

"Of course. I simply do not believe it is wise to subject the Asgardians to my presence any more than absolutely necessary. They won't take it well."

"They've been told to be adults about it or Pepper will make them eat peanut butter and jelly in their room."

He wrinkled his nose. "What and jelly?"

"Peanut butter. It's a paste made from peanuts and oil. Don't knock it until you've tried it."

Loki's nose wrinkled again. "I'll pass."

"Snob."

He looked confused. "Was that intended as an insult?"

"Are you ready yet? You primp more than I do."

"Hmm." Loki turned and stroked his thumb along her jaw. "And yet, you always look lovely. I'm ready now. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

The rest of the group members in residence were waiting in the observation lounge. Tony was tending bar. "You ready for that drink?" he said to Loki as they entered.

Loki's smile was barely noticeable, but it was there. Kara let herself relax. "Yes, I believe I will. Scotch, neat, please."

"You got it. Kara?"

"What does Pepper have open?"

"A Muscato," Pepper said as she came up to them. "Good to see you, Kara, all this testosterone has been a bit much." They exchanged a quick hug. "Loki, you're looking well. Thank you for joining us."

"Miss Potts, how could I ignore such a gracious invitation?"

… …

Pepper chuckled. "The invitation, easily. Kara, however, is not so easy to ignore. Oh, and please, call me Pepper."

Loki smiled slightly and nodded his head. The gesture didn't seem calculated, but it gave him a…regal appearance. "As you wish, Pepper." His smile faded as Hogun and Fandral entered from the balcony and his entire body seemed to tense. Banner came up on their right. "Doctor Banner," Loki said evenly.

"Loki, good to see you on your feet." Pepper tried not to wince as Loki stared at the area that had been destroyed in his drubbing by Bruce's 'other' and then looked back at Bruce. "Have you been having any physical issues?" Bruce continued.

"Not from my original injuries, no. I did not thank you for your assistance. I apologize for the omission. You have my gratitude."

"No problem. It's nice to be able to fix someone up instead of break them for a change."

Pepper held her breath until Loki responded. "I'm certain," he said with a wry smile.

"Well, dinner is ready to be served, shall we go in?" she suggested.

… …

The meal was actually going a lot better than he'd expected, Bruce thought as he took a bite of his poached salmon. Loki had been engaging and charming, Tony had kept the snark down to an acceptable level, and Kara and Pepper had been vivacious and attentive to everyone. The only flies in the ointment were the two members of the Warriors Three. Fandral had been polite, though far more reserved than his norm. Hogun had been all but silent. He looked up as he belatedly realized that Loki had asked him a question. "I'm sorry, Loki, I was woolgathering. What did you say?"

A slight look of confusion crossed the man's lean face before he responded. "I asked if perhaps you…your other as you call it, were holding back when you fought me."

"Hmm, I don't remember it being much of a fight, but yes, I do remember thinking there might be hell to pay if we killed you so I managed to stop him…me…when you stopped resisting. Well, after he/I noticed you had stopped resisting."

"Ah." Loki nodded thoughtfully. "I underestimated your strength in that state; yet another miscalculation."

Bruce smiled. "Not to mention my control, hmm?"

"Oh, no. I'd certainly counted on your having a modicum of control, enough to recognize surrender, at any rate." He shrugged when Bruce stared at him. "I'd every intention of surrendering once you'd convincingly subdued me."

"You have plans within plans, don't you?" Tony said.

"Had. Those plans failed. My only plan now is to await the All-Father's pleasure and be judged for my actions."

"Huh." Bruce nearly choked when Tony started talking again. "So, you guys have known each other for a long time, right?" he said, pointing his fork at the three Asgardians. None of them answered immediately.

Finally, Fandral looked up from his plate. "Indeed, most of our lives."

"You all grew up together, huh. That must make this tough," Tony continued on what had to be the worst possible subject.

This time Hogun frowned at the oblivious billionaire. "We did not 'grow up' with his highness. We had little association with the royal family until we were nearly grown. That was when Thor and his highness entered our lives directly."

Bruce looked from face to face. Hogun's expression was outright resentful. Fandral's troubled. Tony's eyes were wide and he seemed to realize he'd pushed too far. Loki's fork clicked as he set it down, then he folded his napkin, set it beside his plate, and stood, rubbing his temples. "Pepper, please convey my apologies to your chef. The food is quite delicious, but I find I have no appetite. Good night." Between one blink and the next, he disappeared.

"Jesus Christ," Tony muttered. "This is not good, people."

… …

Kara rolled her eyes at him. "Calm down, Tony. Jarvis, is Loki still in the tower, and if so, where?"

"Prince Loki is in his suite, Dr. Gunnarssen."

"Thank you. He's upset, Tony, and he didn't want to take it out on anyone here, so he removed himself from the situation."

"Great. That's just…" Tony stood and paced for a minute then came back to the table and pointed at Hogun. "What the hell did you say that made him react like that?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. Fandral, you wanna tell me what Frosty's problem is?"

"Ah, well…hmm."

"Not hearing an explanation here, and if I don't, we're going to have a problem, gentlemen, and I am using that term loosely."

Fandral sighed. "Referring to him as 'his highness' in a casual setting when we have been on a first name basis with him for centuries is a form of, uh, shunning."

"Great, that's just…has it occurred to you two bozos that we are walking a fucking tightrope here? We've been left with the responsibility of containing a man who can disappear anytime he damn well pleases. He's making an effort to not make this more difficult than it has to be, and you, yes, you are fucking up after I told you that I expected you to behave like adults and not make any more fucking problems for us."

"Tony, language," Pepper murmured.

"The hell with my language; I don't need this shit." He dropped back down in his chair and frowned. Kara Gunnarssen was rubbing her temples, a pained look on her face. "Kara, what's wrong."

"I'm trying not to turn that asshat into a pile of ash," she muttered.

"Oh, crap. Uh, please don't do that, the furniture in here is flammable…and so is the parquet floor."

She looked up at the now alarmed Asgardians. "Do either of you have any idea what it feels like to be treated as a freak, as second-rate all of your life?" They didn't answer. "And if that wasn't bad enough, now he thinks he's a monster because of his genetics." Tony bit back a smirk, Fandral was becoming antsy and Hogun was now staring at the floor. "I am so damn tempted to show you what a real monster is, but I won't. Do you know why?" she asked. They didn't respond and Kara's eyes narrowed.

"Uh, I don't think that was a rhetorical question, boys. Answer the lady," he ordered.

Hogun looked up. His expression was closed and cold. "No, I don't know why, my lady."

"Because Loki taught me I could control what I was. That I didn't have to be a monster, that I could be a normal person, get angry or frightened, and not kill anybody no matter how damn tempted I was." She waited, but there was no response. "What I am going to do is show you how it feels from his end. You deserve to know."

"Uh, Kara, ixnay on the projecting, that's…" he broke off as Hogun grabbed his head and Fandral slipped off the chair onto his knees. "Oh, crap."

"Relax, Tony. I gave it to them at real strength, just like he's feeling it. They're being dramatic wusses." She turned to stare at them. "So, boys, how do you like feeling like Loki does? Fun, huh?" Kara pushed away from the table and headed for the elevator. "You two make me sick," she said as she left.


	16. Chapter 16

Loki stared out at the bustling city, his forehead pressed against the cool glass. There were construction cranes on several of the nearby buildings that had been heavily damaged in his glorious but not lengthy battle. And it had been glorious. He still had to smile imagining the shock experienced by the Other and his master when the Midgardian heroes had prevailed. Thor's friends had lived up to his every expectation…and then had exceeded them. His smile faded; Thor's friends. It was always Thor's friends, never his. His fist clenched at his side.

The door rattled, but did not open. He'd wanted privacy and was willing to hold it using his all but fully restored power. Not that he needed much to do this paltry thing. "Prince Loki," the voice of Jarvis said, breaking the silence. "Dr. Gunnarrsen requests admittance." He sighed and gestured at the door, reshaping the tendril of magic to tug it open. "Thank you, Jarvis," he said quietly.

He didn't turn away from the window, not just yet. His head was still throbbing and he fought to suppress the pain as he had fought to suppress the urge to silence that oaf, Hogun. Shifting locations from the dining room to his suite had bled off some of the suppressed power, but not enough. It was still trapped in a feedback loop into his nervous system; the damage done by the containment field would likely take days to fully heal now that the daily exposure to it had ended, even at his rate of recovery. Kara closed the door and crossed the room behind him. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "You were right. I was giving them far too much credit."

Loki smiled. Her voice conveyed her annoyance and disgust clearly. At least she admitted her error. Not that he blamed her for believing the best of anyone. She'd trusted him when no one else would. And others had trusted him on her word…Dr. Nassar, Pepper Potts. Even the other Avengers seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt and remaining civil. "Never mind, my lady. You do not, as you've pointed out, know our culture."

"It has nothing to do with your culture, and everything to do with abusing hospitality and ignoring orders. You should have seen it; Tony totally went off on them. I had a few things to, uh, say, myself."

He stiffened. No, the last thing he wanted…he spun and slammed his fist down on the wrought iron table. It shuddered and the center buckled. "I do **_not_** need championing, doctor. I can fight my own battles and do so better and with far more finality than any mortal!"

… …

Kara blinked. The pain, sorrow and tiny sliver of hope she had felt from him had melted away in an instant to be replaced by a violent streak of anger and frustration. Wonderful. He didn't understand that it wasn't all about him. She tried not to sigh at his egocentric assumption. "Actually, no one was championing you," she managed to say mildly, though not _entirely_ honestly. "Hogun specifically disregarded orders and also violated common courtesy and rules of hospitality. He needed to understand that his abuse of hospitality wouldn't be tolerated." She decided that mentioning she'd made the two feel Loki's pain in retaliation for their insult to him would be a spectacularly bad idea.

Loki's mouth dropped open slightly, the anger melted away. He looked down at the dent he'd made in the table and sighed. "I-I see." He sat down in the wrought iron chair and stared up at her, his expression troubled, his emotions more so. "Forgive me?" he asked.

"Of course." Kara sat down beside him and poked at the deep depression in the ornate metal design of the table's top. "Can you fix it?" she asked.

His left eyebrow lifted slightly. "If you wish." She gave him her best annoyed frown and he chuckled. "Ah, very well, Kara." She watched as he stretched to lay one hand above and the other under the dented metal. His eyes narrowed; she could feel an energy disturbance and then heard the distinctive sound of slowly warping metal. After a few moments he pulled his hand away. "That's the best I can do without compromising the integrity of the material," he finally told her.

Kara leaned over to look at the underside of the table. There was only a tiny protrusion still visible. From the top, you would never know it had ever been dented. "Good, now I don't have to be mad at you for wreaking my table," she told him with a smile.

Loki laughed and took her hand. "I never want to have your anger," he told her as he kissed her palm. "I value your good opinion."

"You have it, you know. Seriously. Considering how badly they pissed me off, you must have been furious. Yet you handled it much better than I did. We were all very impressed." His mouth twisted and she could feel a thread of disdain run through him and sighed. "Yeah, I know, impressing the mortals, BFD, fine, whatever."

His eyebrows rose. "BFD?"

"Big, uh, freaking deal. It means I know you don't give a rat's…"

"I know what it means," he interrupted dryly. "I simply was startled to hear you say it; it's…unprofessional."

"Now, that's funny. You are obviously confusing me with Raj. I've never been particularly professional, well, not the way I speak, anyway. It doesn't go over very well with combat vets. Traditional doctor types get on their nerves."

Loki pushed back from the table and looked her up and down, his gaze heated. She fought down a smile as she felt a tendril of desire run through him. "No, I am definitely not confusing you with Dr. Nassar. He does not have the same effect on me at all." He reached out to take her hand again then stood, drawing her up to her feet as well. "Do you understand what you do to me?" he asked huskily as he used one lean finger to tilt her chin up to kiss her softly, lingeringly.

"Loki," she whispered as he abandoned her lips to trace a path to her ear and then nipped the lobe. "I-I can't stay."

"Kara…"

"Tomorrow morning I'll meet with Nick and tell him I'm moving back over here. But I have to go back tonight, if I don't he'll send someone to retrieve me."

"Let them try."

"No, Loki. You've been working so hard to stay out of trouble; besides which, I promised him I'd be back tonight. I don't break my word if I have any choice."

He sighed, and stroked her cheek gently. "Very well, then. I won't ask you to break your word, I would not break mine." She could feel a quick spear of mischief emerge as he smiled. "Assuming I'd bothered to give it."

Kara had to laugh. This Loki was the one she'd fallen for. He pulled her close and kissed her again; she wound her arms around his neck and enjoyed.

… …

"We're going to knock," Pepper told Tony after countermanding his order to have Jarvis open the door to Loki's suite. "I'd be upset if you barged into my rooms."

"Wait, that doesn't make sense. Your rooms are my rooms. You moved in…didn't you?" he asked, giving her his trademark adorably confused look.

She rolled her eyes. The expression was adorable, and he knew it, which was why he used it…it still got to her, though. "Fine, I'd be upset if Kara barged into our rooms."

"Okay, okay…go ahead, knock." He smirked. "But don't be surprised if they don't answer."

Pepper frowned at him. "All the more reason to not just walk in." She turned back to the door and knocked firmly, then stepped back to await a response. "Did you remember the wine?" she asked.

"Of course, I put a bottle of Kara's favorite in the ice bucket on the bottom shelf, I even remembered the glasses."

"Good." Cupping his cheek, Pepper rewarded his thoughtfulness with a kiss. "Did you drop off some in our bedroom?"

"Yeesss, a bottle of your favorite, and again, the appropriate glasses." He frowned. "And strawberries. I know how you love strawberries with your bubbly."

"Hmm. Remind me to share them with you," she said with a wicked smile, laughing as his eyes widened and he began to grin. "Now, behave."

"Don't I always? Ah, don't answer that."

"You really are a genius, aren't you?" She was saved from dealing with a response by the snick of the opening door. Expecting to see Kara or Loki on the other side, her eyes widened when she realized they were both on the far end of the room by the window.

"Come in, Pepper," Loki called. She entered the room, pushing the cart ahead of her and tried not to smile too deeply when she noticed Kara's mussed hair…not to mention Loki's rumpled collar.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but Kara didn't finish her dinner either and she tends towards hypoglycemia when she doesn't eat regularly. I didn't think you'd mind my bringing fresh plates for the two of you so that she doesn't run into problems with her metabolism issues."

"Metabolism issues?" Loki frowned and looked down at Kara who nodded. "Ah, no, not at all. Thank you, that's quite…thoughtful."

… …

Tony smirked as he listened to the love of his life manage the god of mischief. No wonder the business side of Stark Industries was experiencing a renaissance. He should have put her in charge of it years ago. Damn, she was good. He leaned back against the corridor wall, waiting for the all-clear. The last time he'd entered Loki's suite without a direct invitation, their guest had gotten, uh, testy.

"Stark, stop hovering in the hall and come in," Loki called out, sounding irritated. Oh well, irritated was an improvement on testy. Testy had given him the feeling he should be wearing the suit.

He pushed off of the wall and strode in, exuding as much confidence as he could manage. "Well, everything is set for the evening," he told them, trying to ignore that Kara's lower lip was a bit swollen and her hair messier than usual. He ran a litany of 'it's not my business' through his head non-stop in an attempt to hold back the oh-so-tempting comments.

"How so?" Now how did one man - or one Norse god in this case, manage to fit so much condescending attitude into two small words?

"Well, after Kara left us with that blinding migraine," he began. "Banner felt it would be dangerous for her to travel back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Who knows what the g-force on the Quinjet, or even with me flying her would do. Can't be risked." Loki stared at him, both eyebrows raised. "Sooo, I called Fury, let him know that she needed bed rest and that we really thought observation would be required tonight. I'm sure I saw blood on her napkin."

Loki looked sharply at Kara who had her lips pressed together firmly, trying not to laugh at the load of B.S. he was dishing out. "I…see," he finally said. "All night observation, hmm? I can't imagine that Banner has that kind of time on his hands or that you have that kind of patience."

"Yeah, not so much. So, I thought maybe you could do us all a favor on that."

"I think that could be arranged," he said solemnly, without so much as a twitch let alone the full out smirk Tony couldn't suppress. No wonder they called him the god of lies.

"Cool beans. You've got dinner in that top compartment, keeping hot. Dessert in the middle, keeping cold, and jusssst in case that migraine suddenly vanishes, a bottle of Kara's favorite wine in an ice bucket in the bottom. But before you enjoy, do you mind if I ask a question or two?"

"So long as I may refuse to answer."

"Fair enough. When you were wandering around my system – oh, and nice job on that, by the way. I'm impressed, couldn't have done it better myself. Of course, you were already inside my external firewall, so that saved you a lot of work."

"Actually, I jumped to your system from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s, so I did need to breach your external firewall."

"Really? Damn. Hmm, gonna have to take a look at that." Tony frowned thoughtfully. "Anyway, when you were entertaining yourself in my files, did you do anything other than leave notes all over the place? I mean, I did look, but I didn't find anything, and I'd sleep a hell of a lot better if you could promise me you didn't alter anything."

Frosty smirked silently until Kara touched his arm. "Come on, Loki, he did something nice, you can be nice in return."

"Fine. Stark, I promise I've _done_ nothing other than break into your system and leave the notes you found."

Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Interesting way to word it…that didn't mean he wouldn't do anything in the future, but…he'd take it. "Okay, thanks for that. Second question, when you left the note on the scale armor construction specifications, who did you think the armor was for? I mean, my notes said to get the measurements from Pepper and to run the final design specs by her, and nowhere did it mention Kara by name or code name. Did you think it was for Pepper?"

Loki looked…hmm, abashed, and sighed before answering. Interesting. "Yes, it was a reasonable assumption. You've made yourself a very tempting target, putting your name in the sky in lights and such," he said with a smirk. "You should find a way to protect her."

Pepper murmured quietly, "I don't need protecting, thank you." They both ignored her.

"So I did. Well, then I owe you my thanks for looking out for her. That was, um, pretty cool of you." Loki frowned at him. "Uh, no pun intended, honest, that was sincere gratitude, really." Tony mentally smacked himself in the head and hoped for the best.

"You're welcome. I do not wish any harm to come to Pepper. She is innocent in all of this."

… …

Kara frowned. Notes? Harm? What the heck? "Um, what notes?"

Tony almost physically squirmed. "Well, your uh…companion there left a note on the rendering of your armor. He drew an arrow to a part of it from a message that said 'revisit the composition of this area lest the wearer suffer dire injury'. I really should have guessed it was him from that, I mean, who talks like that besides the guys from Asgard, you know?"

"Oh. Thank you," she said to Loki. He shrugged.

"Hey, Lokes, did you see anything else in there that needed fixing?" Tony asked.

She tried not to snicker at Tony's antics, not to mention Loki's put upon expression at the corruption of his name; she really did, but failed and earned an irritated glance from Loki. "Must you encourage him?" he asked. She shrugged and bit her lip. He turned back to Tony. "I really _cannot _say."

"Uh, okay. Why not?" In typical Tony fashion the last two words were drawn out.

Loki sighed. "There are treaties between those realms with a higher degree of technology that disallow interference in another realm's development of technology; or failure to develop a particular technology. I've already skirted the spirit of the agreement if not the actual letter of it with my warning. I will not cross the line, not on this. It would not be tolerated."

"Wait, didn't you already cross that line with Selvig?"

"No. His work with the cube gave him the knowledge, not anything I did. He may have come by that knowledge more quickly as he spent more time with it after I took him, but he did not gain any knowledge he would not have eventually gained on his own."

"Oh. Okay. Sooooo, since you're so bored and all, maybe you'd find it amusing to, I don't know, wander around in the workshop when I'm working on stuff. You might see things that don't interest you at all, and other things might give you a good chuckle."

Loki actually snorted. "I'll see if I can fit that into my busy schedule," he offered dryly.

"Yeah, you do that. Oh, crap. One more thing and then I'll leave you to your dinner. Banner and the docs over at headquarters are concerned that Kara isn't healing well from the exposure to the containment field. He's going to go along and oversee a full scan. We'd really appreciate it if you'd go too, and get scanned, so we can do a comparison, see how your healing is going and maybe see if there's anything we can do to help hers."

Kara held her breath. Tony might have actually hit on the one thing that would motivate Loki to agree to the scan, if he cared about her at all. He turned to frown at her. "Are you still having problems?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. They weren't exactly fudging on the migraine. It's not blinding, but I did have some fairly deep stabbing pain."

He frowned. "I'm not happy about that. Endangering me is one thing, I am technically the enemy. You are their teammate. That is…"

"It was an accident, Loki. Tony had no idea it would cause a problem. My nervous system is pretty unique among humans; it was altered by experimental drugs I was given after my pyrokinetic abilities surfaced. It doesn't do anything to normal humans. They couldn't have known or even suspected it would hurt me."

"And what's to prevent Fury from deciding he likes using me as a lab rat and making an attempt to keep me there?" he asked.

She smiled, letting her nasty emerge. "Me. I give you my word I won't let them keep you there, and if S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to make me break my word, there will be hell to pay."

… …

Pepper and Stark had finally left them alone and they'd enjoyed their delayed dinner, dessert and he was opening the smallish bottle of wine before he convinced his lady to join him in bed so that he could keep his agreement to provide 'observation'. His lips twitched as he imagined the conversation Stark and Banner must have had with Fury. "Here you are, my lady," he said, handing a glass to Kara.

"What did kind did Tony bring?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Does it matter? He said it was your favorite."

"I have several favorites." She leaned forward to reach past him and picked up the bottle. "Oh, that snarky putz," she muttered.

"What?" he asked and then looked at the label on the bottle. The wine was made by Quady Winery and was called 'Deviation'. "Hmm, and here I was nearly ready to revise my opinion of Stark."

Kara snickered. "Hey, he's entitled to express his opinion of my taste in men. At least he was being snarky at me with this one. My other favorite is Norwegian Ice Wine."

"That…well, that would be directed at both of us, I suppose."

"Exactly. So give him credit for choosing the lesser of two evils. He really is a good man underneath all of the wise-assery and snark."

Frowning, Loki urged Kara to turn and began unfastening the silk dress she'd changed into before dinner. "I suppose I can give him credit for arranging this. I honestly had no expectation that he would, hmm, aid and abet…us."

She set her glass down so that he could pull her dress and then her bra from her arms. Her expression was slightly troubled. Once freed, her arms snaked around his waist and she pressed her face into his bared chest. "Is there an 'us', Loki?" she asked softly. Closing his eyes he tried not to sigh. He had no idea how to answer her.

… …

**Author's Note**: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with the story and are now "Team Kara". Seriously, she had to have room to grow, which was why she was so judgmental about his adoption issues earlier. People are dynamic, always changing if only in subtle ways, so I try to create characters with that kind of three-dimensional realism. Thank you for loving how she's changing.

Next chapter will have more of the smexy, and will be up by the weekend. Sorry for the delay this week, I had other writing projects that needed serious attention.

We've had over 1,500 unique visitors to this story in November so far, which is totally amazing. I appreciate all of you for reading, and love your comments. Keep them coming! I do take the time to answer PM's and will PM you if you hit on something critical. I think interaction with readers of fan fiction is an integral part of the experience.

**Author's Note 2:** I originally had this on a much later chapter, but since everyone seems to be hopping on to review immediately after reading this one and informing me about it before they read on, I'm adding it here. I have not seen the Iron Man movies (a sacrilege, I know), so I was not aware Pepper is supposed to be allergic to strawberries. Fortunately, she never ate any "on camera" so we'll just assume she enjoys dipping them in the bubbly and feeding them to Tony as a reward for 'certain activities' and that her comment in this chapter about sharing them was a playful promise of rewarding him for those activities that he alluded to promising by telling her he'd gotten the strawberries.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** With another **_caveat._** This story is **_rated M_** and here is a reason for it. If you don't want to read the detailed smexy, stop reading after the scene between Nick Fury and Raj Nassar. There are important plot points up until that scene you really don't want to miss.

… …

Loki didn't answer. Kara bit her lip, regretting the question. Of course he didn't answer, what could he say that wouldn't make her push him away and make them both feel worse. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "That was an impossible question to answer, I…"

"No, you had every right to ask." Loki's hands rubbed her back soothingly. "And I would answer if I had an honest one." His lips brushed her forehead and then he pressed his cheek against the top of her head. "The All-Father will make his judgment soon. If not tomorrow, then next week, or perhaps the week after. I simply do not know when. I cannot even think about what I may or may not want until I've been sentenced, it would be an exercise in futility…and painful to all involved in one way or another."

She shuddered. It was too late for it to not be painful to her, no matter what happened. It was too late the first time he had told her she wasn't a monster. "You know that I care about you, don't you." It wasn't a question, she decided.

"As more than a-a friend, yes, I'm not that dense," he tone was wry. "I should be trying to discourage you, but I'll admit to selfishness. Having a woman's honest favor is a first for me."

Kara pulled away slightly. "Oh, please. You're how old and you've never had a woman really lo-care for you? I'm sorry, I find that hard to believe."

Loki's short laugh was bitter. "It is the truth. And you can say the word, you know. I won't turn away from you because of your emotions. Familial love is one thing. My mother, my adoptive mother, Frigga loves me as though I were born of her body. She has always been the one person who never pushed me aside. And certainly, I've had women in my life as sexual partners. It took centuries for me to learn the lesson that they were there only in an attempt to marry into the royal family, or to get closer to Thor. None of them ever wanted _me_, they wanted the position I could give them or they wanted my _brother_."

"What the hell is wrong with the women of Asgard?" she asked. "Oh, don't answer that. I just…I can't understand that. You're brilliant, you're beautiful, you're so amazing in so many ways. I mean, yes, I can understand women who are social climbers, I think it's stupid, but I understand it. But given the choice, I don't see what the ones who don't care about the royal part see in Thor over you. It just makes no sense to me."

"You don't like Thor?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course I like him, but I could never be attracted to him. Sure, he's handsome in a sports jock sort of way. And yes, he's loyal and trustworthy, but he doesn't think things out before he does them and his sense of honor has no shades of gray whatsoever. Real people can't survive like that. We don't have the option to, so it's very annoying. He has no sense of humor, oh, and he's loud. I only spent a few hours a day for three days in his company and it nearly drove me to drink."

His mouth twitched. "That even annoys fa…his father." Loki took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "I don't know, Kara. He is the golden one, and I was never anything but his shadow. I had no real friends, no companions other than his. My accomplishments meant nothing next to his and that…gets old."

"Is that what your plan was about? Accomplishing something that he couldn't?"

"Something like that. You see how well it went."

She wrapped her arms around his lean waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I love you Loki. I may only be a mortal, but I'll have more love in my heart for the few short decades of life we're allotted than the women of Asgard seem to have over their entire long existence. That love is yours. You can push it away if you want, but…"

"I'm not going to push it or you away, Kara." Loki huffed out an impatient breath. "I've told you, I'm far too selfish to do the right thing."

"Then?"

He shuddered, took her head in his hands and kissed her gently. "Until such time as I am returned to Asgard, there is as much of an 'us' as you desire. I will greedily take all you are willing to give me and I will give you all that I am capable of giving under the circumstances."

Kara hugged him as tightly as she could. "That will have to be enough."

… …

Tony smiled as he popped open Pepper's favorite champagne. It wasn't Dom Perignon, she didn't really care for it, and this was about what she liked, not about making an impression. Though he hoped he would be making an impression tonight. She'd been really pleased about how he'd handled the situation with the Asgardians and with Fury. Best to do this when he'd managed to get fully in her good graces. He filled the champagne flutes and patted his pocket. Yep, he was all set. "Please tell me you didn't go for the Dom," Pepper said as she came out of her dressing room.

He looked up and nearly dropped the glasses. She was wearing a gold satin teddy and nothing else. God, she was gorgeous. "You look amazing, even more amazing than usual," was all he could manage to say.

Pepper smiled and posed a bit for him. "Thank you." She reached out an elegant hand for the flute he was clutching and he had to focus to remember to let go of it and to hold on to his. Jeez. "What are we celebrating?" she asked.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Do you know what you are to me?" he asked as she stared at him with a bemused expression.

"Your right hand in business and your best friend."

"Besides that."

"I don't know, why don't you tell me." Pepper smiled at his grin and settled down on the side of the bed, one long leg tucked under her.

"Okay, here goes…and don't interrupt, okay, or I'll get sidetracked, you know how I get."

"Right, no interruptions."

"Pepper Potts, my very best friend in the whole world, or out of it, is: Amazing, beautiful, courageous, daunting - don't interrupt," he said as she frowned and started to talk. "It's very daunting to face you when I've screwed up. Elegant, flirty - or at least I always think you sound flirty when you're talking to other men, but that's probably just my insecurities speaking. "Gorgeous, honest, intelligent, jealous, or I hope you get as jealous when I talk to other women as I do when you talk to other men. Kind, loving, mine?"

"Yours? Well, we'll see. Are you going to go through the entire alphabet?"

"Uh, yeah or mostly. Is that okay?" he responded as he moved to stand in front of her, free hand in his pocket.

She laughed. "Okay, carry on."

"Naughty, especially in that little…outfit. God, I'm salivating here." He paused as she laughed again. This was going better than he'd expected. "Optimistic, and I've needed you to be, thank you. Powerful, I mean, jeez, you outmaneuvered the god of mischief and lies with a few well placed words. Quick-witted, responsible, again, really, really good because I'm not. Sexy, tolerant - of my bullshit, thank you again, and understanding - of my moods, vivacious and, uh, oh yeah, will.

"Will?"

"Yep." He dropped down to his knees, pulled out the little box from Tiffany's and popped open the lid. "Will you marry me?"

… …

"That was the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard from Stark, and that's saying something," Nick Fury muttered as he paced his office.

Raj Nassar looked up at him with his trademark soothing smile. "Did you expect anything less?"

Fury snorted. "No, but that was an interesting tack for them to take. Still concerned as to whether we're doing the right thing. It's bad enough manipulating the established Avengers or even normal agents to advance our agenda. But Dr. Gunnarssen has been dragged into this, she didn't want anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D., I basically conscripted her with the threat of never working in her field again, and now I'm pimping her out to a crazy extraterrestrial. It does not sit well, doctor."

"If it helps any, she's in love with the crazy extraterrestrial."

"Excuse me?" Nick turned to stare at the soft-spoken psychiatrist. "Isn't that a breach of doctor/patient confidentiality?"

"Only if she had told me so directly or I had discovered it from a professional session. She did not, this is from my personal observations outside of our sessions."

"I don't know if that makes it any more right, but thanks. It does lift a bit of the guilt."

Nassar nodded. "I know. She's still going to be traumatized. Eventually, Asgard will send someone to bring him back."

Nick sighed. "And then I'll have a brokenhearted pyrokinetic projective empath on my hands. Wonderful."

"Isn't that better than a wrathful god?"

"Honestly? If she were to unleash her full potential, I'm not so certain."

… …

Loki closed his eyes to breathe in Kara's distinctive lavender and vanilla laced scent. So soothing, or perhaps what was soothing was holding her pliant form snuggled close in his arms. He brushed back a lock of wavy multi-hued hair back over her ear and smiled when she looked up at him. Those amazing kaleidoscope eyes were sparkling with mischief, just the way he liked them. "Somehow I don't think this is what Fury would have pictured when he was told I needed observation."

He smirked at the thought. "Likely not. Though surprisingly enough, I am certain it's what Stark and Banner expected. I still don't understand why. They don't approve of your feelings for me."

"It's nothing personal, you know. They just don't want to see me hurt." She frowned when he started to object. "Don't start. They'd be just as worried if I'd fallen for anybody else."

"Doubtful. But then, they do have cause to worry…I have given them such." He traced the line of her stubborn jaw, then let his fingers trail down her neck to toy with her lovely breasts. "I do believe you may need more detailed observation," he murmured as he leaned in to kiss the sweet spot where her neck met her shoulder. She shivered as his soft kiss became deeper and more aggressive.

"Damn, I love that so much," Kara whispered.

"I think you love other things much more." He smiled as he pinched one sweet nipple and made her gasp. She shuddered as he continued to tease one nipple with his fingers and took the other in his mouth and suckled strongly. Nipping it carefully, he brought it to full, swollen attention. Beautiful. The nipple he'd pinched and twisted beckoned and he turned his oral attention to that one as well until his lady began to whimper. "Is that sweet quim wet for me already?" he asked.

Kara squirmed and he glanced up to see pink staining her cheeks. "Yes," she admitted breathlessly. He chuckled at her embarrassment and reached down to slide his fingers between her very damp folds. After a last and firm bite to her nipple, he kissed his way down to her tempting and now glistening sex.

Loki smiled as he spread her outer lips to reveal the inner and that amazing jewel that was her clit. Exposing it fully, he breathed on it, and smiled at her shiver. He tapped the small nub with one finger then began to play freely. Her hips lifted automatically into the pressure he was providing. "Sweet," he murmured. "So giving." She moaned and he looked up to find her frowning at him. "What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"When do I get my turn to play?" she asked. "You did tell me I could play later, and it is later."

"Hmm. I suppose I must keep my promise then. How do you manage that?"

"What?"

"I've made more promises to you in the past few weeks than I have to any other person in my entire lifetime. And I didn't even see or speak with you for nearly two of those weeks."

… …

Kara shrugged. "People make promises to me all the time. Most of them even keep them. I've never really thought about why." She pulled herself up to a sitting position and pointed firmly down at the mattress. "Lay down so I can play."

His smile was wicked. "Of course, my lady. But be gentle with me."

"Humph. I wouldn't know the difference between gentle or not, you know I have no idea what I'm doing." She waited until he'd settled and then leaned forward to kiss the smirk from his lips. "No smirking at me. If I'm doing something wrong, just tell me, don't laugh at me or I'll be too embarrassed to continue."

"I'll do my best." He grinned as she smacked her hand down on his flat stomach irritably. "Lesson one," he said. "Don't hit or squeeze my privates with that kind of force. While it wouldn't do any permanent damage, it would still hurt like hell and spoil the mood."

"That much I'd gathered," she grumped and ran her fingers over his highly defined abdominals. "I thought you said you were scrawny, this is not scrawny, this is cut."

"Compared to Thor, or to most Asgardians, I am not considered at all muscular."

"Phooey. You have a runner's or swimmer's musculature. Long, lean, tight as all heck. Just because it's not bodybuilder type of muscle, doesn't mean it isn't very fine." Kara frowned and looked closer at the area above where the Asgardian mystery organ, the meng mein, was situated. "All of your other scars healed," she muttered. "Why didn't these?"

Loki lifted his head to look down. "They were contaminated by the energy leakage. It damaged the cell's ability to properly regenerate. It's no matter." He shrugged. "And it will remind me never to underestimate anyone."

She laid her cheek down on the puckered scars. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she whispered.

"I am not. It gave me you, and I wouldn't change that. Oh, gods, woman, don't cry."

"Sorry, I…sometimes you just say the sweetest thing when I don't think you're intending to." His frown was perplexed. "Never mind, back to playing," she told him and leaned back up to give him another quick kiss. "Hmm. Now let's see what you think about this." She flicked her fingernail against one of his hard, almost flat nipples and grinned as his breath quickened. "Oh, so that is sensitive for men, too." Leaning over she took it delicately between her teeth and laved it with her tongue. His moan was soft, but it was there. Moreover, his semi-hard cock twitched sharply. "Nice," she decided. "Hmm. Compared to the full Asgardians, you have almost no body hair. I guess that's a Jotun trait?"

"What? For pity's sake Kara, are you playing or is this an anatomy discussion?"

"Playing, but I'm curious, I can't help it. My other doctorate is in genetics and I did train as a researcher." She grinned at his long-suffering sigh. "Okay, I'll put away the scientist train of thought."

"Good."

She giggled. "Hmm, so…my curiosity doesn't seem to have bothered not-so-little Loki."

"Not so what?"

"Men here on Earth tend to refer to their penis as 'little whatever their first name is'. Yours isn't little, so…"

"You are torturing me a-purpose, aren't you? This is some insidious plot to break me."

Kara laughed so hard she nearly fell off of the bed. "No," she gasped as she righted herself. "Oh, come on. Have I ever done anything the way you would have expected?"

"You have not. I-gods, woman. I don't know how I managed to deserve or earn your love, but I am glad of it."

"Oh, Loki. Love isn't earned, and it isn't deserved or undeserved. It just is." She wrapped her hand firmly around his cock, smiling as it hardened almost immediately. "This, on the other hand, needs to be both earned and deserved. Luckily for you, you've managed both."

… …

Luckily indeed, Loki thought as she began toying with his erection. Damned woman was going to be the death of him with her all but innocent experimentation. She was also a very quick study. In mere minutes she'd determined what parts were more sensitive and how they would react to different stimuli. He watched avidly as she dragged the smooth nails of one hand along the length of his cock as she delicately licked the tip. Well, tried to watch. The sensation was too delicious and he felt his eyes close as he enjoyed it. "Hmm, liked that, did you?" she asked softly.

He grinned as he looked at her. "Very much. What else do you have in store for me, sweet lady?" While she didn't speak, Kara's answering smile was wicked. She'd gained a great deal of confidence from his reactions so far. His eyes widened as she moved over him and took the head in her hot mouth. He really hadn't expected this so soon from her. A groan escaped as she slid his staff deeper, her lips stretched and pressed hard against him. The urge to thrust was almost overwhelming, but he didn't want to frighten her. His head dropped back as she began to suck deeply. "Gods, Kara. Someone had to have taught you this," he muttered.

Too soon she pulled away. His staff was throbbing, straining for release. "No," she said with slight blush. "But girls do talk about sex, you know."

"Bless them all," he muttered. "I need you, love, very badly now, are you done with your play?"

"For now," Kara agreed. It was his turn to grin as he sat, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Fondling her full breasts he continued to kiss and nibble on her lips until she began to squirm in his grasp, then moved on to her neck and breasts. One hand trailed down to check her readiness. Apparently her play had kept her well in the mood, she was still highly aroused.

"Hard and fast, now, all right?" he asked. She nodded and he moved her to her hands and knees on the bed, then knelt behind her. Groaning he pressed deeply into her wet heat until he was fully seated. Her moan and slight wriggle told him she was ready and he began to thrust, as promised, hard and fast. There was no better feeling in the universe, he decided, than giving pleasure to a woman who was not only willing, but who loved you. Her gasps and soft cries spurred him on and he continued to pound firmly into her clinging sex, groaning as he came closer and closer to release. Far too soon he felt her control shatter and she was wildly twisting and throwing herself back against him. He laughed joyfully, took a firm hold of her hips and let his own control fail, thrusting hard, deep and firm as he spilled his seed. Her arms had collapsed and she was lying face down on the mattress, still on her knees. Loki wrapped his arms around her waist and let his body fall to the side, drawing her along with him. "Perfect," he whispered as he drew her trembling form back against him and stroked her damp skin soothingly.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay, folks. Work and family has to come first. This one's a bit long and a bit choppy, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer. Thanks for sticking with me!

… …

Loki sighed at the touch of soft fingers fondling his sex. He could easily get accustomed to waking up like this. "Did I wake you?" his Kara asked.

"You can wake me like that anytime, sweetness," he told her as he gathered her in his arms. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm. Yes." She looked up at him, a bit of pink coloring her cheeks. "I think you tired me out too much to think."

"Good. That means I pleased you well."

The minx snorted softly. "It means I was exhausted." She grinned as he pretended to glare at her. "Okay, I admit it. It was the lovemaking that wore me out. So when are you going to wear me out again?"

His glare at the inoffensive clock imbedded in the wall was not feigned. "Not until much later, unfortunately. Don't pout. We need to bathe before we go do your damned scans." He smiled as she sighed and patted his awakening staff.

"Fine. Spoil my fun by mentioning work. Humph."

"You are the one who insisted, Kara."

"I know, it really does need to get done. It's been two weeks and I don't seem to be improving. I've been doing healing protocols on myself daily, but I'm still getting the same severity of headaches." She frowned. "Would you let us scan you again after I've done a few days of healing on you?"

"I'm indulging you as it is."

"It really could tell me if the damage is healable at all. If it doesn't improve in you, it definitely won't in me and we'd need to look at other options." He raised an eyebrow at her use of 'we'. "Uh, I mean S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research staff, including me," she clarified.

"Hmm. I'll consider it, depending on what you find out from today's scans." He took her chin in one hand and frowned at her hopeful expression. "I said I'd consider it, leave it at that," he advised. "Now, let's get that bath, shall we?"

"Showers would be faster."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Showers are uncivilized. We're taking a bath." Loki slipped off of the bed and scooped her up in his arms. "No arguing, I'm not in the mood," he warned her. Kara wisely compressed her lips together, though she was still looking at him with that damned expression. She'd best not get used to him indulging her too much. It simply wasn't in his nature. He did what _he_ wanted, not what some mortal female…he shuddered as he set her down on the vanity bench. "Wait here," he ordered her tersely.

"Loki?"

"Enough. Wait here," he told her again and returned to the bedroom, closing the bathing room's door behind him.

… …

Kara stared at the door in shock. Loki's mood had shifted suddenly, just before he'd set her down. Until that point, he'd been indulgent, affectionate, caring; then she'd felt a sudden flash of anger and distaste. What the hell? She waited patiently for a few minutes then stretched out her senses to try and read him deliberately. Loki's emotional aura was a tumultuous mix of disgust, annoyance and…pain? Who was he disgusted with? Why was he annoyed? Her staying, them being intimate had all been his idea, hadn't it? She felt a tear dripping down her cheek. Damn it. Turning on the chair to face the mirror she laid her head on her arms and tried to calm down. She'd finally managed to tamp her upset down when the bathroom door opened and Loki came back in. Kara badly wanted to ask him what was wrong, but his feel was still so turbulent, she was afraid to push. She sat silently, looking up at him in the mirror.

Loki stared at the mirror, meeting her eyes in it. He frowned, reached for a tissue and gently wiped her cheeks. "I…apologize. I have no wish for my issues to give you pain." His mouth twisted as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Perhaps it would be best if you stayed with S.H.I.E.L.D. until I am gone. I can't be trusted to…to treat you as you wish to be treated."

"I'd rather stay with you," she told him as she stood and moved around the stool. "I know I'm not your ideal. I know I'm just a mortal, I'll grow old and…" she stopped talking as he pressed his fingers against her lips.

"And I remember that from time to time, and it…disturbs me. I may treat you unkindly when I do. You don't deserve that. I'm very aware that you can feel it, so no lie from my lips will make it tolerable for you. I will end up hurting you, badly, should you stay."

"You must think I'm pretty pathetic to be okay with that." Kara was trying not to cry, but her vision was starting to blur with the withheld tears. "Loki, it's already too late for me not to be hurt. If I leave now, I'll still hurt. If I stay, I'll hurt, but at least I'll have some memories of you once…" She swallowed as the tears spilled out. "Never mind, I get it. It's all about you. You don't need a crying mortal female dragging you down. Fine. Will you at least still get the scan so this pathetic human has a chance of finding out how to heal herself?"

"For once, just once, it is not about me," he insisted. "I told you, I'm selfish, I want nothing more than to have your touch, your caring. But…ah, hells. I suppose it is about me after all. I suppose, if I am honest with myself, I'm starting to feel guilty about the pain I know you are feeling." Loki laughed, but the sound was bitter. "That's another first, you know." His arms enfolded her and she wrapped hers around his waist. "Yes, sweet Kara. You'll get your scans. Not only do I owe you, I do want you well. And I do want you here with me."

… …

His poached egg was coming along nicely, Bruce decided as he hit the plunger on the toaster. Everything should be ready at the same time for a change. He pulled the butter from the fridge and pulled a plate from the cabinet. He glanced over at the table where an uncharacteristically subdued Kara was pushing her scrambled eggs around on her plate. Loki was putting food in his mouth and chewing methodically, but didn't seem to be noticing what he was eating. Apparently their night had not gone as well as he, Tony and Pepper had hoped.

Speaking of the devil, Tony strode into the kitchen whistling half under his breath. At least someone was in a good mood. "Good morning, everybody," he sang out. They all turned to stare at him. "What?"

"You're awake. At nine in the morning; why are you happy about it?" Bruce had to ask.

"Oh, well, you know. It's a brand new day, and all that kind of stuff."

Kara's jaw dropped. "Oh my God; you did it, didn't you? You finally got off of the fence and did it."

"Yep, should have done it ages ago. You were right."

Bruce snorted. "She's always right."

"No, not always, just about some things," Kara said quietly, darting a look at Loki.

Yeah, things hadn't gone well there at all, Bruce decided. "So, congratulations, Tony. Have you two discussed a date yet?"

"Uh, no. Pepper's going to look at our schedules and narrow down something, uh, appropriate, she said. Then we can decide." Tony shrugged looking sheepish. "Meaning she's going to let me know. I don't really care. I just want it to happen."

Loki was frowning, looking back and forth between the three of them. "Obviously I've missed something," he finally decided.

"Yes. Tony finally proposed to Pepper. They're going to get married," Kara told him. Loki didn't respond other than to stand and walk out of the room. "Shit," Kara muttered.

"What's going on, doc?" Tony asked.

"Jesus, Tony, I really wish I knew."

… …

Fandral dutifully strapped himself into the padded seat then turned to see if Hogun was having any problems. He'd made enough trips in the airborne vehicles by now that the fastenings were second nature. Hogun still struggled grimly with them. He grinned as the buckle snapped in place, glad he hadn't been forced to annoy his brooding friend by lending assistance. One of the two S.H.I.E.L.D. pilots looked back toward them. "Sir," the man asked. "Are the others on their way?"

"I wish I knew," Fandral told him. When they'd left their suite to head to the elevator, Loki had stormed past them, returning to his. The lady healer had followed a few minutes later, but they'd heard nothing from either since. He looked back down the ramp as he heard the door open. Dr. Banner was headed out to them, and he was alone.

"Loki and Kara aren't here?" he asked, unnecessarily, Fandral thought.

"No, doctor. I have not seen them since they returned to his suite."

"Okay, let's give it a few minutes," the human said after running a hand over his face and frowning thoughtfully. He leaned in and looked toward the front of the craft. "Gentlemen, sorry for the delay," he called out. "We should be good to go momentarily."

The door opened again. Loki strode out, his expression closed, his hand covering the healer's where it was tucked in the crook of his arm. Fandral decided all must be well if Loki was bothering with social courtesies. The two followed a relieved looking Dr. Banner on board and took seats, buckling themselves in swiftly. "Good morrow, Loki," Fandral offered before turning to the lady. "I hope your head is feeling improved, my lady." Hogun remained annoying silent, despite their discussion after they'd returned to their chambers the night before.

Loki looked sharply at him. For once his expression and the surprise in it were readable. "Good morrow, Fandral," he said before turning back to his lady. "Is your headache gone today, Kara? I apologize, I neglected to ask."

She smiled. "It's fine, thank you both. I just needed to sleep it off, I guess."

"Sirs, Ma'am? Is Mr. Stark joining us?" one of the men up front asked.

"He'll be flying in himself. We're good to go," Banner told them.

"Thank you, doctor." The man checked that all of them we strapped in, signaled to his partner, and the vehicle leapt into the air.

… …

Nick Fury watched as the Quinjet coming in from Stark Tower landed. Agent Hill, shadowing him again, frowned at the Asgardians. "What is _he_ doing back here," she hissed.

"I distinctly recall telling you that Loki has consented…"

"Not Loki. Fandral. I swear, if he so much as starts…" she stopped talking abruptly as the group approached. Nick tried not to smile as Hill edged behind him. He could well imagine she was setting her face into a ferocious scowl. Nodding politely at the group, he focused on Loki and Dr. Gunnarssen. "Doctor, how is your migraine this morning?" he asked.

"It's gone. I'm sorry if Bruce and Tony alarmed you. They were being a bit overcautious. It was only a drop of blood; I've had worse from sneezing."

"So long as you're well now, that's all that matters," he said smoothly. Loki frowned at him. The Asgardian Prince wasn't buying it.

"She is _not_ truly well, so it still matters greatly. If your people had not used untested technology of a sort you have no hope of understanding, she would not have this issue," he snarled.

"Loki, I was the test. I told you, I volunteered," Dr. Gunnarssen told him.

"No, Kara. They tested it on me. You saw what that accomplished." He frowned down at her sigh. "Yes, I know. They had little choice. I…" Loki trailed off, shaking his head. "Let us get these scans of yours so that we may discover how to heal you."

Nick took a step back as the pair swept past him, heading towards Medical. "You don't want to know," Banner muttered to him as he followed them. Nick ruthlessly repressed a shudder as he watched three of the most dangerous people he'd ever met stroll deeper into his boat.

… …

Loki frowned as he watched Kara being moved into a scanning device. He'd been told the thing used a variety of methods to scan and map the various systems of the body, including their target, the nervous system. It would, Banner explained, take upwards of an hour. He gave her a last attempt at a reassuring smile before her face disappeared into the bowels of the device. Looking about, he realized that no one was paying him the least bit of attention. Loki smirked and decided to see what mischief he could ferment before someone noticed he was gone.

Oddly, the mortals scurrying about didn't even give him a second glance. He looked down at the black slacks and black button down shirt Kara had suggested he wear with new appreciation. It fit in quite well with the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform of black on black. Striding purposefully down the hall, Loki examined different signs and directional markings to compare against the map he'd memorized. Nick Fury's office should be right down this corridor.

And there it was. The conference room just before Fury's door was open and empty. He entered and found the door that connected to Fury's inner sanctum. As he suspected, the material conducted sound to his ears with no difficulty. Loki settled himself down on the floor, out of sight of the conference room's entrance and leaned back against the door to listen.

… …

"Despite Dr. Banner's odd comment, it seems to be going rather well, then," Raj commented as Fury paced behind his desk.

"Is it, Dr. Nassar?" the director asked. He paced some more.

"Loki broke off the beginnings of an angry tirade and behaved reasonably. I would call that successful. Did he seem to be in pain?"

"Not that I noticed, no."

"Hmm. Either his nervous system is healing well, or he did not suppress the use of his magic. We won't know which until the scans are complete. I don't think even he could heal that quickly, though. Not from two weeks of regular exposure to the expanded lockdown. I believe he simply wasn't that angry, and that, I believe, is due to Kara's influence."

"I'll have to _reluctantly_ approve her remaining there once her team comes in to argue the point. Knowing Stark, the reasons they come up with should be entertaining. God knows I could use some damn entertainment after dealing with the council. They've asked for a more comprehensive report on 'the Hellbringer potential' as they call it. I cannot believe how eager the damned chicken-hawks are to make her into a super weapon. The disturbing thing is, once they had proof she could be such a weapon, they'd shit themselves and order her destroyed. That is not going to happen on my watch."

"Kara needs to be made aware of their interest. Otherwise she's likely to share more about her abilities with her team members as she comes to trust them. We don't know that…"

"I do know. I'm not concerned with the Avengers. They'll close ranks and protect her; we're seeing that already with Banner and Stark. Rogers will stand for her as well; he wouldn't take kindly to anyone being targeted without cause, and Thor pretty much thinks she walks on water since she saved his brother's life."

"Hmm, I agree. Barton wouldn't turn on her either. He's in a much better place after working with her. I'm not so certain about Romanov. Though they seem to have a developing friendship, the Black Widow's loyalties are to S.H.I.E.L.D. rather than to the Avengers."

"And to Barton, don't forget she owes him. No, I'm not worried about any of them. However, my agents here could be problematic. Some of them are blindly loyal and a few are…ambitious. All future testing she does here must be limited to what she's already displayed." Fury smiled. "In exchange for _allowing_ Kara to return to Stark's tower, I'll insist he build her a secure testing facility there."

"He would do that anyway, so he'll count it an easy victory," Raj mused. "Have the Asgardians heard anything from Thor?"

"Nothing and that worries me. He knows how volatile Loki is. We don't how long Dr. Gunnarssen can continue to keep him distracted from wreaking havoc here; it's nerve-wracking, like sitting on an explosive and not being able to see the countdown on the timer."

Raj froze; his heart was in his throat as a familiar voice snarled at them. "I can keep myself distracted."

… …

Nick hated days like these. He hated them with a passion. Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to casually turn toward the figure that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Loki, here on Earth, we consider it polite to knock before entering someone's private office."

The apparently no longer broken god sneered. "It ceased to be private when you chose to discuss me and what is mine." Nick blinked in an effort to suppress his surprise at that statement. "Tell me, director," Loki spat. "Does. She. Know."

Loki's 'lie to me and you die' glare would have reduced a lesser man to a quivering mass of fear. Nick Fury was made of sterner stuff, but he still admitted to a distinct unease. "I don't know what…"

The god slammed the heels of his hands down on Nick's sole personal possession in the office: a custom built desk with a marble desktop. The marble cracked. "Do not dissemble, Fury. I am the god of lies and you cannot deceive or distract me with your prattle. Does Kara know that you are whoring her out in a feeble effort to control me?"

Dr. Nassar spoke up. "No, Loki. She would never willingly be a part of such a thing, you know that."

Nick let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as the tension left Loki's shoulders. "The only reason I do not kill the both of you for this is your willingness to protect her from your own kind," he informed them as he sat down in one of the visitor chairs. The still scowling prince glanced sharply at the door behind Nassar an instant before it began to open. Of course. The fucking icing on today's fucking cake.

… …

"Hey Nick, old buddy, I was in the neighborhood…" Tony trailed off as he saw his houseguest sitting in a side chair, looking like he was fit to kill. This wasn't good. The fancy blue pearl marble desktop, the sole source of color in Fury's office, had two deep cracks on the edge closest to their borderline psychopath. "So, Lokes, what's got your panties in an uproar?"

"Kara tells me you consider her an honorary little sister, Stark. Is that true?" Loki snapped in a voice as pissy as his expression.

Hmm, well, answering that shouldn't get him in too much hot water. "Yeah, so?"

"So, your director has deemed it appropriate to whore out your little sister to appease a dangerous enemy, what think you of that?"

"Son of a bitch. You know, the big guy and I were thinking Fury rolled over just a little too easy last night. But we put it down to exhaustion and paranoia." He turned to glare at Fury. "So, why's his marble cracked instead of his skull?"

"He's protecting Kara from his council, I assume by understating her abilities."

"Uh huh. Cool beans, then." He turned back to Fury. "She'll be staying at my tower permanently. If any of your people need therapy, they come there. Unarmed."

"Agreed. We'll have to keep the fiction of you convincing me she needs to be there."

"Yeah, we'll do that. Shit." He frowned at Loki. "I should have kept the suit on."

The god's left eyebrow rose. "Why is that?"

"That marble needs to be in pieces. Don't suppose you'd like to take another shot at it?"

Loki snorted. "How many pieces did you have in mind?"

Tony found himself grinning at the mischievous expression that had Loki's mouth twitching. He glanced at Fury whose façade of calm was finally cracking. Good. Served the bastard right. "Oh, about a hundred should do it. You up for that?"

Shrugging, Loki stood. "You might as well see this now. I know there have been questions, and I'd rather not endure the gossip and speculation once the scans have been completed should they have an, shall we say, adverse effect on my control."

Tony tried to remain nonchalant, but it was a struggle as he watched the tall, pale, Norse god turn a bright shade of blue. His mouth dropped open when the green eyes, not just the irises but the whites, turned blood red. He could feel the cold radiating off of him. "Wow, cool. Uh, no pun intended," he added hastily as the half-Frost Giant frowned at him. "Seriously, 'cool' was the word to use to describe something awesome when I was growing up." He snuck a look at Fury and Nassar. Both of them looked like they were carrying loads in their pants. Nice.

Frosty put his hands down on the marble surface, it glazed over immediately. He held on, the red eyes brightening hellishly, until the desktop resembled a large slab of ice. "It might be more than a hundred," he said with an outright smirk.

"That's co…uh, that would be okay," Tony managed.

"I'd advise you all to step back and cover your faces." Loki let go of the frozen surface, moved to where he could reach the middle, fisted his blue hands together, and brought them down sharply.

The shattering of the frozen marble sounded a bit like the glass shattering when Loki had thrown him through his window. But this was a hell of a lot louder and a hell of a lot more fun. Tony turned and nodded appreciatively. The base of the desk and the floor around it were covered with small shards of still frozen marble. "Nice." He gave Fury a nasty grin. "Don't mess with my honorary sister."

"I'm billing you for that desk, Stark," Fury grated.

"Good luck with that." He looked at Loki whose blue tint was fading to his usual death-warmed over tone. "You ready to head back to Medical? They're ready for you." Loki shrugged and moved toward the door. "Oh, Raj. Kara said she'll meet you in your office, she needs to chat. I'd suggest you not mention this, any of it. She might get a bit testier than either of us. I'll clue her in on the council when we get home."

… …

Loki contained his laughter until they were well clear of Fury's office. He hadn't had this much fun in quite some time. Stark shot him a conspiratorial grin. "That was…uh, awesome. Did you see the looks on their faces?"

"I did. Though I'd have preferred it not be necessary, it was…enjoyable."

"I'll bet. So, uh, has Kara seen that?"

"She did not say?" Odd, he'd thought she would be certain to share the information. Of course, she was wildly unpredictable. That particular quality was both enjoyable and frustrating. He smiled. Mostly enjoyable.

"Well, she's pretty good at keeping secrets. Has to be in her line of work." Stark paused, looking thoughtful. "She's also protective of you, don't abuse it."

"I shan't. I have sworn to her that I shall never knowingly harm her. You can ask Fandral the value of my word should you doubt it."

"That's okay. I get the feeling you don't give it much. Too easy for you to talk your way around it and give people the impression you've promised something when you haven't. Am I right?"

"Very perceptive of you. Yes." Loki frowned. He'd thought the man's intellect lay solely in his technological pursuits. He'd underestimated Stark...again.


	19. Chapter 19

Kara came out from behind a screen as they arrived in Medical, smoothing the hem of her blouse down around her hips. "Where were you?" she asked curiously.

Loki smiled. "Oh, just renewing acquaintances," he told her as Stark choked. He gave the billionaire a sharp look. "You should have some water, Stark. All of that alcohol dries out the throat, you know."

"That's what coffee is for." Stark was still grinning. Fool would get them in trouble with Kara if he kept it up. "Raj is heading for his office, Kara, he'll meet you there."

"Okay." Kara gave both of them suspicious looks. "You've been up to something, but I don't think I want to know what it was." Loki simply lifted an eyebrow, Stark began to protest. "No, Tony. I know you both well enough to know when something's up. Just…try not to destroy anything or anyone, okay?"

Damnation. He started laughing before Stark did. But only because the human was choking again. "No one was hurt," he managed in the face of his lady's glare. "And it was well deserved. Ask your honorary brother here."

The man nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. Scouts honor."

"I swear…oh, hell. Tony, you were never a boy scout." Kara sighed. "I really don't want to know. Seriously. Just try not to destroy anything in here. Please?"

Loki sobered. "I will try not to. I do have a small concern," he told her as Dr. Banner approached.

"What's that?" Banner asked.

"I do not know how your technology will affect my magic. It may cause a reaction I cannot fully control." He smirked as Stark paled.

"What kind of reaction?" the doctor asked mildly.

Stark looked around to see if any of the other mortals were close enough to overhear before speaking. "Uh, he turns about as blue as you do green. And freezes everything he touches. That wouldn't do the scanner any good."

"No, it wouldn't. How touchy is your control?"

"Not very. But if my body interprets the energy your machines use for the scan as an attack, it could be a problem."

Kara frowned at them. "Maybe we should just forget it."

"No, Kara, I've promised this."

"If we do break it, I'll replace it, it'll be okay, this is important," Stark added.

Banner frowned thoughtfully. "I think if we go over exactly what you'll feel so that you are fully expecting it, we should be okay. I can run the scanner without you in it first. You can lean in and put your hand inside to feel the energy in the different phases to test it out. If your conscious mind knows what's happening, it should increase your control."

"That sounds…reasonable. And if I cannot control it in the test, then we will have to find another way."

"Or I can just replace the damn thing if necessary. It's not like I can't afford it," Stark grumped.

"Tony, it's not about the money," Kara told him. "Loki doesn't want to frighten the people here or cause more problems that will be reported to Asgard. Even if it wouldn't be his fault, the intolerant bastards might find a way to make it count against him."

"That true, Loki?" Stark asked, for once not using an insulting nickname.

He decided to return the courtesy by being truthful. "It's not about the fright so much as I would find such a loss of control…embarrassing. But yes, it would be reported to Asgard, and with the prejudice against Jotuns, it would be held against me."

"Loki," Kara said as she took his arm and moved in close. "I release you from that promise. Do what you think is best based on the test scan, okay?"

"Yes, sweet lady. I think Dr. Banner is correct, though. If I know what to expect, it should be fine."

… …

Raj looked up as Kara edged into his treatment room. "Is this to be a session, Kara?" he asked. "If not, we can use my office."

"This is fine, I-I'm overdue and I really need your input."

"No problem, have a seat." Kara sat down in the plush recliner she preferred, sighing deeply as she sank into the cushions. "You look well."

"I'm feeling a lot better than last night. We had an issue. Hogun decided to shun Loki, it was, well, vile. I haven't been so tempted to hurt anyone in practically forever. Needless to say, I didn't turn him to ash, and well, it hurt. Badly."

"But you held back."

"Yes. I did a projection, though. I made them feel the pain they…uh, Hogun and Fandral, had caused Loki. I didn't magnify it or anything, I just needed to make them understand the kind of harm words alone could cause."

"Seems reasonable considering many of Loki's problems are due to the Asgardians not understanding the power of their words to hurt so deeply."

Kara sighed. "It was out of line. I had no right to do it, and if Loki finds out, he's going to be pissed."

"He's a proud man. He wants to fight his own battles."

"I know. But I hurt for him. I still have so little objectivity where he's concerned."

"We rarely do when it comes to people we love."

She laughed. "Noticed that, did you? Yes. I love him. Stupid as that may be." Kara lapsed into silence for a few minutes. Raj waited patiently. "How foolish is it to fall in love with a man who can never conceivably return it? Yes, I know. People develop crushes on celebrities they'll never meet all the time, but it's not the same. This isn't a teenage crush, Raj. I love him. I want to protect him, to be there for him, and it's all so impossible."

"Have you read him, does he not feel the same for you?"

"No, I haven't read him about this, that would be horribly unethical. I do pick up he cares about me, but whether it's simple lust or something more I don't know. Honestly, I don't think I want to know. Even if he didn't think I was a lesser being because I'm human, even if he did somehow return my feelings, they'll take him away soon. Assuming they don't kill him outright, they're likely to lock him up for well past the remainder of my lifetime."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps they'll come to understand why this all happened and forgive him."

"Right," Kara scoffed. "Okay, let's say somehow, by some miracle that happens. I'm going to grow old and die…I'll be dust before he even seems to have aged a year by our standards. I have nothing to offer him but heartache."

Raj handed her the ever-present box of tissues as tears began to fall. There was nothing remotely comforting he could say in response to that tragically accurate assessment. "So you've given up? Are you going to walk away from him when he needs you most?"

"I'm not going to walk away," she managed after drying her eyes and blowing her nose. "I-part of me wants to confront him about his feelings, to stand up for myself. But I can't. Not because I'm not strong enough, I am. If this were a normal situation, if he were human, I would. I wouldn't stand for him not really telling me how he feels. He does need me. I'm all he has right now, and he really needs someone to care about him unconditionally, without demands, so he can start to heal from the damage that idiot father of his did by lying to him for a thousand years. Not to mention the normal younger brother to a freaking superstar crap that went on."

"You're setting yourself up for a great deal of heartache."

"I know. It's going to rip me apart, but I can't not do this, Raj. I know how it feels to be the monster. I know how it feels to have those who should love me walk away from me in fear and disgust. I _cannot_ do that to another living soul. That would destroy me, to do that when know I could ease that pain simply by acknowledging my love and sticking with him for as long as I'm allowed. I can't walk away from him; I can't add to his pain by abandoning him just to spare myself. I won't do it."

"Will you promise me something?"

"Humph, I thought I was the only one who asked for promises."

"Not hardly. When he is gone, when you need help with the pain, call me. I'll come see you every day, as long as it takes until you can handle it on your own. Promise me you will not try to hold the pain inside and that you will not blame yourself or anyone else for it."

Kara sighed. "I promise I'll try. And I promise I will ask for and accept help."

"Good enough, my friend."

… …

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief as the scanner disgorged the still nervous god of mischief. The soothing harp music had helped. Loki's rapid blinking had subsided and he'd lain there with his eyes peacefully closed, but the tension had never fully left his sculpted muscles. He bit back a grin as two of the technicians sighed with appreciation as Loki's body was revealed yet again. The god would no doubt take the female tech's interest in stride, but her male coworker? Bruce wasn't so sure. He moved to the foot of the table and held out a hand to assist Loki in rising. "I know, you don't need help, but being confined like that tends to stiffen the muscles a bit."

The corner of Loki's mouth twitched and he looked annoyed, but he accepted the hand and sat up, swinging his long legs over the edge of the cushioned surface as he did so. The two techs sighed again and Loki's eyebrows rose. "Thank you, doctor," was all he said as Bruce handed him his pants.

Bruce nodded, stepped back and fought to hide a grin as the god slowly put on his briefs…was he…yes, the damn man was actually posing for the gawking duo, flexing muscles, stretching out. He turned away and let the grin emerge. Tony was standing there, also gawking, though his attention was more on the antics of the almost drooling techs than on those of the god. "When you're done dressing, Kara is going to meet you and Tony in the gym," Bruce said over his shoulder. "You and your brother's friends are going to help her test out her new armor, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. Though I thought it was tested. Really Stark, did you employ yet more technology without a thorough test? Will you never learn?" Loki asked with a distinct edge to his voice.

"Get off it, snowman. The testing is for her to get used to wearing it and what the tolerances are. I have thoroughly tested it, I know what it would take to make it fail, but she needs to know for herself so she doesn't get overconfident. It will help protect her, but it doesn't make her invulnerable, and she needs to understand that first hand."

"Ah." Loki walked to a point between them and paused as he buttoned the black long-sleeved shirt. "That makes sense, then. I agree. Was there an issue with making the armor more invulnerable?"

"Um, yeah," Tony said, dragging out the word."Kara's in good shape, but she's not excessively strong for a woman and she needs to be able to move in it. Much more protection and she'd need to have powered armor just to walk. It's not like we expect her to go head to head with something big and bad like I can. She just needs to be within line of sight of her targets and to be able to concentrate without worrying about someone shooting her or something else, um, mundane."

"I see. If the All-Father should decide he owes you for your services in hosting me, ask him for metal-working secrets for a lighter and stronger alloy. I cannot give them to you without consequences, but he can, within limitations, if he feels you have earned it."

"I'll do that. Thanks for the tip."

… …

Kara stared at the armor that was again hanging in her office. It had changed since she'd worn it yesterday. Not by a huge amount, but still…when the hell had Tony had the time to work on it? She sighed and looked at the boots, helmet and other oddly shaped things that sat on her desk beside a note from the engineering genius. She turned as the door opened behind her.

"Well, what do you think?" Tony asked. "When you went upstairs yesterday, I found some links attached to my file. Looks like my not-so-mysterious hacker thought some upgrades needed to be made after seeing you in it."

"How do you get so much done so quickly?" she asked.

"Uh, Jarvis, mostly. I come up with the specs, put it all in, and set it up and the manufacturing process commences. Sure, I have to do some of the assembly and touch-ups by hand, but the dreaming it up and figuring out how to make it work is always the bulk of the process for any creation."

"Hmm. Where's Loki?"

"Down in the gym. He wanted to have a private word with tweedle-dum and tweedle-dumber before we got there. He's concerned they're going to hurt you accidentally. I think he underestimates my genius."

She shrugged. "He did that before, and it nearly got him killed. I think he's learned from that. He probably wants to be sure they know they're not working with anything magically enhanced like he says his armor and Thor's is." Holding up a cuff shaped piece she asked, "How does this work, now?"

… …

Hogun looked up from the weight bench as Loki entered the large room the mortals called a gymnasium. The dark prince was alone for a change. He put the weights back on their holder and watched as the half-breed looked around the facility and then let his gaze rest on him. Loki looked wary. "Where is Fandral?" he finally asked.

Grimacing, Hogun replied. "Chasing after the mortal, Agent Hill…Loki."

Loki's eyebrows shot up and he hesitated before speaking. "He never learns. The more he chases them, the faster they run." Loki crossed the room and took a seat on the bench nearest his.

Hogun took a long hard look at Thor's adopted brother. He was a bit thinner and paler than normal, but otherwise looked fully recovered. His eyes, though; they had changed. The usual confident arrogant light in them had died. Small wonder if the man often felt as the lady healer had shown them. Hogun took a deep breath. "Loki, I-I was wrong." He paused as Loki's expression showed his surprise. "I have not walked in your boots and it is not my place to judge you. It was dishonorable of me to do so, I apologize."

"Apology accepted. We'll speak no more of it, hmm?"

"Agreed."

The small door in the side of the room slammed open and a woman dressed in the black uniform of the ship's crew stormed in, Fandral close on her heels. "I believe this belongs to you," she seethed, pointing at his disconsolate friend. "Please try to keep it on a leash." Agent Hill spun on her heel and marched back towards the door.

"Agent Hill," Loki said in a soothing tone. "Fandral does not, in fact, belong to any of us. He is his own man and a warrior of much repute. Even if you are not interested, you should be flattered by his attentions."

"I have work to do," she snapped as she exited, sharply pulling the door closed behind her.

Loki shrugged. "Some mortals have less discernment than others, obviously." He looked up at Fandral and frowned. "You need to be a bit less obvious. I think perhaps you overwhelm them with your presence and the focus of your attentions."

"I'm certain you're right, Loki," Fandral said, somehow sounding like he'd taken the trickster seriously. Of course, Fandral's ego was legendary. Perhaps he simply wanted to believe Loki's surely sarcastic advice.

"Of course. Now, gentlemen, before the others arrive, we need to discuss the armor you will be helping to test. The alloy it is made of is not enhanced and does not have the strength or durability of our own armor, nor do the mortals understand the strength of a blow you can deliver. Until we know how it will hold up, I ask you to use no more than a light sparring strength in your attacks lest you do the lady a grave injury."

This, Hogun decided, was no trick and no lie…nor even an exaggeration. Loki seemed quite concerned about the mortal woman's safety. "Why do you not test it, then?"

"I cannot strike one of them other than in self-defense without adding to the charges against me. It is best that I do not even take up a weapon while I await Odin's _pleasure_," Loki muttered somewhat sullenly.

"Loki, I don't think any of this is the All-Father's pleasure," Fandral offered. "He is quite nearly as distraught as Lady Frigga over these events. When you fell from the Bifröst, he seemed to visibly age in mere hours. No one could get scarce more than a word at a time from him until you were found."

Hogun could see that Loki didn't believe any of it. "It is true, Loki. There were no feasts, no public meals, no audiences. Drinking was done in gloom and to ease pain, not for enjoyment. Your brother's face was streaked by tears as they returned to the Valhöll and Odin was in such turmoil he had to be supported and guided to the royal wing. We mourned, Loki. We all mourned whether you believe it or no."

"Why?" The question seemed sincere. "None of you were my friends, few ever had a good word for me or about me. Why would anyone mourn my passing?"

"When did you ever allow any to be your friend? Did you ever share a confidence? Did you ever lend a willing hand without thought of what you would gain?" Hogun growled.

"Why should I have offered what was never offered me?" Loki asked. "Did you once think of me as more than a nuisance when we were young? No. I was Thor's little brother. The one who could never keep up, the pest you were forced to include in your hunts and your games. I was always the afterthought, invited along only because Thor would sulk if I were not. Did all of you think that I could not see your scorn, your pity? I have been a fool, that I'll admit. But I have never been stupid."

Hogun frowned and looked at Fandral. The other man stood with his mouth slightly agape, clearly stunned by the accusation. Fandral sighed. "Is that truly how you saw it, Loki?"

"Yes," he hissed. "It is how it _was_."

Such pain. He needed no 'help' from the lady healer to feel it. Hogun thought hard about the past, about their interactions with Loki. He tried to remember an instance, even one, that would prove the man wrong…and could not. He stood and extended his arm, his hand open, and looked directly into Loki's eyes so that he could see his sincerity. "I am sorry." Hogun stood there, waiting, hoping Loki would take the offering of peace and apology for what it was. He breathed more easily when the wronged man took his offering and clasped arms with him.

"Thank you."

… …

The main doors opened and they turned to watch an armored Kara enter with a suited up Stark. Loki smiled, Stark had found his additional notes and had added improvements to the design. There were now bracers to protect her wrists from heavier impacts, knee cops to protect those critical joints and reinforced boots. The helm, which she held under one arm, was more decorative while being streamlined and providing an improved visual field. "Much better, Stark," he approved.

"Thank you. It looks a bit medieval, but hey, that's a valid style choice…especially for people who don't have regular access to the fashion scene."

"We've kept the style, with improvements, because it works. Not as a fashion statement. Kara, how does it feel?"

"Odd. But then, so did the original design." She shrugged. "I'll get used to it, I guess. And it is kind of fun."

"It's not supposed to be fun."

"Seriously?" Stark interrupted. "This from the man who wears horns like a gazelle?"

Loki shook his head. "They're based on the horns of a six-legged serpent…a dragon, if you will, that is found in the far reaches of Asgard."

"Loki killed one that attacked our hunting party," Fandral added. "That is why the All-Father granted him the honor of using those horns on his dress helm."

"What did he do, talk it to death?"

"Tony! Grow up," Kara scolded.

"He used illusions to distract it, then leapt to its back and plunged daggers through all four of its eyes and into its brain," Hogun told the humans.

"Wow. That's seriously…wow," Stark mumbled.

"It was quite the impressive feat," Fandral agreed. "He saved our lives and should have been feted, but…Thor scolded him for taking such a chance with his own life. As did Lord Odin and the Lady Frigga. So it is little spoken of."

"It's of no consequence," Loki interrupted. He shook his head in warning as Kara started to protest. "Shall we get on with the testing?"


	20. Chapter 20

Loki frowned up at her from his position on her therapy room couch. "I suppose it is a good use of our time," he agreed grudgingly as she continued to move healing energy into his nervous system.

"And if another scan this evening after I do a couple of healing sessions on both of us confirms what we're suspecting, we won't have to come back to do another one."

"Perhaps you're simply misreading the results."

Kara sighed. "I don't think so. Bruce is going to run a detailed comparison, but even to the naked eye it looks like my nerve damage has gotten worse, not better."

"You will find a way to fix it. I have confidence in your ability as a healer."

"Don't lie to the empath, Loki. You know it doesn't work."

He sat up and tugged her down to sit beside him and held her close. "If you cannot find a way to fix it, ask Thor to plead your case in Asgard. Ultimately, blame for your condition can be laid on me. They should agree to make it right."

"Don't take the blame for this. If they hadn't come up with this technology to contain you, they still would have invented it to contain me. Even the Avengers are afraid of what I can do."

"They are your friends. I have watched them with you; I have heard them speak of you when they did not know I was present. They care deeply for you and I saw no sign that they feared you."

"Well, no, they don't fear _me_, but what I can do? Hell, yeah. Loki, even I fear what I can do, you know that."

"And I know you would never abuse it. You have a strong sense of fairness, of justice. Any who feel your power would surely deserve it." He smiled as she rolled her eyes at him. "Are we done here?"

"You are. Stay out of trouble while I work on myself."

"Hmm. I'll make every effort to do so."

She glared at his mischievous expression. "Loki…"

"Leave off, Kara. I'll go rescue Agent Hill and distract Fandral. That should provide me enough amusement while you're busy here."

… …

Maria was pissed. This amorous buffoon would not stop following her around the carrier. Fury was no help. Her superior had smirked at her and 'reminded' her that they needed to play nice with the visitors from Asgard. She'd like to play nice. Nice and loose with her foot up the jerk's backside. Turning, she came face to face with the jerk in question and sighed. It wasn't that the man wasn't attractive. The way his blonde hair waved boyishly over his forehead was positively touchable, and she'd always been a sucker for a man with a small, neat beard. It was his self-absorbed 'you know you want it' attitude that had her steamed. Not to mention the feeling that he'd be about as faithful as a damned alley cat. "Why are you still here?" she asked, trying to keep her tone pleasant and non-confrontational.

"Because basking in your radiance is the highlight of my day," he answered in a serious tone.

Opening her mouth to snap out a response, she paused as the even more unsettling god of mischief and lies strolled into the room wearing a smug expression. "Fandral," Loki said. "I believe Hogun and Stark are looking for you. Perhaps it is something to do with your input on the armor you all were testing."

"Oh, very well." Fandral sighed theatrically, took her hand and bowed over it, his lips grazing her knuckles. "Alas, my lovely lady. Duty calls. I shall return."

Maria waited until the Asgardian was well down the hall before she muttered, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Loki laughed, obviously enjoying her discomfiture. "We shall attempt to keep him otherwise occupied until we return to Stark's tower," he told her with a smirk. "Though it would be far easier if you took care of the issue yourself."

"And how am I supposed to do that? I've discouraged him in every way I can imagine, short of locking him up or shooting him."

The smirk still lingered. "And that is the problem. Turn the tables on him, Agent Hill. Pursue him, and he will lose interest."

"I think that's every bit as much of a lie as you told Fandral."

"Ah, no. I did not lie to Fandral; at least not truly. Hogun and Stark are looking for him, but their purpose is to keep him from continuing to make a nuisance of himself. Director Fury is concerned that he is distracting you from your duties."

"Hmm. So you think if I chase him, he'll run?"

"He always has before…except, of course, when his heart was involved." Loki shrug was nonchalant. "That is only rarely the case. I haven't seen him truly in love for over five centuries. For him to be so now, and with a mere human, is inconceivable."

"You're sniffing around a mere human. Is he so different from you?"

Loki's rather condescending smile had a sharp edge to it. "Dr. Gunnarssen is a very powerful and exceptional human; an advance on the species as a whole. It's not the same thing at all."

"She's the product of a lab, like Captain America. Her abilities were created by human science."

"Hmm, I understood her firestarter ability was inborn."

"Well, yes. But that's a mutation, not an advance."

"Is it not? Tell me, Agent Hill. Have you not studied evolution? Are you a creationist? No? Then you should realize that nature uses so-called mutations to determine which way is the best for a species to advance. The successful mutations breed and produce more of the same, until that mutation becomes the norm for the species. So, Dr. Gunnarssen may have a mutation, but she is also a test of an advance to your species and as far above you as you are to one of your pets."

Maria watched him stalk off with her mouth hanging open.

… …

"Fandral! There you are, we've been looking all over for you," Tony Stark called out.

Fandral sighed. Loki had been honest, again. Hogun and the human had been searching for him. He should not have doubted. "Yes, I am here. What did you wish to discuss on the armor?"

Stark blinked. "Uh, oh, right. Well, we got tired of waiting to find you, so we just made a decision without you. It's all taken care of."

"Good, then I shall take my leave…"

"Whoa, uh, no. Come on, Valentino, it's lunch time and we're going to have to insist on your company. The cafeteria is…" Stark hesitated as he turned around, examining the walls. "This way," he finally concluded.

Loki and Doctors Gunnarssen and Banner were already seated and eating when they arrived. After turning in their orders Stark was handed a stiff card bearing a number, and they joined the others at their table. Banner and Loki were eating steadily, though neither much looked as though they were enjoying their meal. The woman was doing little more than pushing her food about her plate. "My lady," he began politely. "What troubles you?"

Stark grabbed the seat across from where she sat flanked by her two companions. "Yeah, what's up, Sparky?" Fandral frowned as the woman shook her head, not lifting her gaze from her plate.

The other human sighed heavily. "The detailed analysis of the scans was completed. She's getting worse, not better."

"Shit. What about his scan?" Stark said, nodding in Loki's direction.

"Despite the far greater exposure, his system isn't nearly as damaged as Kara's. There's an awful lot of new nerve tissue growth though, it shows a different density than old tissue, so he's apparently healing rapidly from what was originally far more damage than Kara's original scan showed."

"Jesus." Stark pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "So, now what?"

"I really don't know," Banner replied. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is calling in neurology research specialists, but this kind of damage isn't on file in any of the records we can access. I don't see that they're going to be able to do more than guess at treatments."

Fandral started as Hogun nudged him. "Call Heimdall?" his old friend suggested.

"I suppose we could. Though the All-Father is not known for taking interest in such things…"

"The All-Father had best take interest in this," Loki spat. "Ultimately, this is his fault."

"Loki, calm down. It's not his fault, it's mine," the lady healer said. "I agreed to it."

"You had no idea what you were agreeing to. I'm certain they gave you little choice in the matter."

"Uh, guys," Stark interrupted. "Maybe we should wait until we get home to discuss this, okay?"

Loki frowned at him. "Fine."

… …

Kara stared morosely out over the city. The second set of scans had confirmed it. Her healing ability had no effect on either of them. Bruce hadn't said anything, but she knew as well as he did where this was heading. It could take weeks, maybe months or if she was very lucky, years, but eventually she was going to lose too much nerve tissue for her body to compensate. It would cripple her at first and then go downhill from there. On the bright side, she wouldn't have to worry about missing Loki for long. She wouldn't be around long enough to miss anyone. She tried not to sigh as she felt him step out on the balcony behind her. "I'm not hungry," she said, assuming he'd come to try and coax her into the dining room for dinner.

"I know." He stepped close and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. His breath warmed her cheek as he pressed his lips to it. "I asked them not to alert Asgard just yet. There will be a better chance of agreement if Thor asks his father to allow help for you as a personal boon to him. Odin rarely denies Thor anything."

"Sure." She wanted to tell him it didn't matter, but he'd just argue the point and be annoyed with her. Once he was gone she could tell Thor not to bother. It would sure save Raj a lot of work.

"Don't," Loki said quietly, tightening his hold. "I forbid you to give up." Kara smiled; wondering if mind-reading was among his talents. "You do not know what the future may hold for you, Kara. Please promise me you will make every possible effort to be there to meet it."

"Why?"

"Because I am to blame for enough death on this world; if you give up on life because of me, you will add to that burden. It is already unacceptably heavy." She felt him smile against her cheek. "And yes, once again, it is all about me. But seriously, if you love me as you say you do, you will allow Thor to seek help on your behalf."

"Loki, don't try and blackmail me with my feelings for you. All that will do is piss me off."

He sighed and turned her around to face him. "I do not understand what good this love of yours is then. There seems to be little point to it."

"Oh for…there's not supposed to be a point to it. It just is. And it's a good thing, mostly. If two people share the feeling, it's a great thing. The best thing in the universe."

"How would you know this? Have you loved and been loved before?" He sounded genuinely curious, and maybe a bit…was that jealousy?

"No, but my foster parents did. They loved each other more than anything. Kara shrugged. "I was just grateful they were willing to share their lives with an abandoned teenager. I had no expectations that they'd love me, so I wasn't disappointed."

Loki leaned in to kiss her softly. "I wish I could give you that, my lady. But it's not something I'm capable of just now." He pulled her close again and she laid her head against his chest. "I do care about you. Your well-being is…important to me. I owe you so much, and there is little, if anything, I can do to show how much you-your love means to me." The tears that had been threatening ever since they'd gotten the results of the second scan began to flow. Loki sighed again. "This is another mortal thing I do not understand. I tell a woman that I care for her…this is supposed to be a good thing, is it not? Yet, you cry."

"It's okay. I don't always understand crying myself."

… …

Pepper looked around the table. Dinner was somehow an even more strained affair than it had been the night before, despite Loki and the two Asgardians being on much better terms. Tony and Loki were getting along as well, which was really amazing. They had been trading snarky comments back and forth, but with good humor. She was really starting to wonder if she'd fallen down the rabbit hole. "I have not congratulated you on your impending motherhood," Loki said to her, his expression totally serious.

"My…what?" She glared at Tony. What in heaven's name had he told them?

Loki's smirk finally gave him away. "Well, marrying someone so immature as Stark is akin to acquiring an overgrown child, don't you think?"

"Hey, Snape," the overgrown child interjected. "I'll have you know I resemble that remark. But it's part of my charm."

"Snape, really? If you are going to compare me to a fictional mage, you could at least choose an attractive one. Cedric, perhaps."

"More like Sirius Black," Bruce said, than shrugged. "Hey, you were kind of deranged for a while."

Kara, who had been sitting quietly, looking understandably depressed after the bad news on her scans, chuckled. They all turned to stare at her. "Do you realize that both of you compared Loki to self-sacrificing, heroic characters?"

Pepper smiled as Tony and Bruce stared at each other. "Son of a bitch," Tony muttered.

The boys headed off to the game room once dessert was finished. Hogun and Fandral were absolutely eager to show Loki how to play HALO 6. Something was definitely odd here. And Tony was actually laughing at one of Loki's comments. "Kara? What the heck happened today? Did we have a mass personality transplant; am I hallucinating, or what?"

"Well, I know Loki and Tony destroyed something together, they haven't said what, and I don't really want to know…plausible deniability and all that. It seems it was quite the bonding moment. Fandral and Hogun have apparently pulled their heads out of their butts. They even told a heroic Loki story from way back when." She sighed. "Of course, it came with an observation that proves Loki was right about the crap he put up with all his life. I think that got them thinking and realizing he wasn't just imagining it all."

"Heroic, huh?"

"Yep. He did something daring that saved all of their lives, and instead of the big feast and honors that Thor would have gotten for the same thing, he was scolded for risking himself."

Pepper stared at Kara, stunned. "Seriously?"

"I know. It's no wonder he has a complex about Thor." They stood and collected plates and carried them into the kitchen for the cleaning service to deal with. "I thought he was just being ungrateful before. But…now I really think he wasn't even exaggerating by much. It makes me sick."

… …

Tony grinned at the dismayed shouts from Fandral and Hogun as the team of Loki and Banner began to kick their asses. The teams were each playing the game on separate systems; the competition was based on the advancement of the respective teams. Loki had fumbled with the controls for the first fifteen minutes of play, and then found his groove. His fingers flew over the buttons and his grin as he got the hang of it was downright predatory. He'd taken the initial teasing in stride, returning jibe for jibe, and had even laughed as he and Banner lost ground to the others. But now, even Tony was impressed with his student. "Jeez, freeze-frame, how are you picking this up so fast? Not that I'm not proud; but not even my admittedly brilliant instruction should have gotten you this far."

Loki shrugged, never taking his eyes from the screen. "I have an advantage. I've been studying your technology for quite some time. Others in Asgard never saw the need nor did they have the desire."

"Hey guys, who's winning?" Kara asked as she entered the game room, followed by the love of his life. Pepper was carrying a few wine bottles and Kara was balancing a tray full of glasses.

"Well, the wonder-twins took an early lead, but now that he's got the hang of it, your boyfriend and Mr. Zen are totally kicking ass."

"Only because I have that advantage," Loki chimed in, not arguing the boyfriend point, interesting. Tony grinned at Kara's blush.

"Well, glad you're all having fun with it," she managed. "Um, I pulled out my medieval recipe book to see if I could do something about all of the complaints about our drinks. I didn't have any mead to work with, and the only place that I know of that makes really good stuff doesn't ship to New York, so I went with mulled wine, the Nordic countries call it glögg, I think."

"Doesn't that sound, uh, appetizing," Tony managed.

"Don't mock it until you've tried it, Stark. If it's done right, it's quite good and can be every bit as intoxicating as your Scotch," Loki told him. "What did you put in it, my lady?" Tony shook his head. Holding a conversation, Loki was still paying close attention to the game. Fandral and Hogun weren't trying to contribute to it, but they were still distracted enough to be losing even more ground. Loki was hell on wheels with multi-tasking.

"I started out with a tawny port, added sugar and spices, and knowing Tony's tastes, spiked it with some brandy for an extra kick. Who wants?"

Hogun raised his hand and immediately lost his character to NPC return fire. "Bullocks," he muttered.

"Go ahead and hit your pause button, guys," Bruce told them. "We can pick this up again later."

Tony grinned at their relieved expressions. Loki smirked. "Yes, it's time for a break…you can look at our score and bask in our brilliance while you drown your sorrows."

… …

"Loki, it's just a game," Kara scolded.

"It is, but a good competitor always plays to win."

She smiled. "Just for that, you have to try this first," she told him, handing him a glass. Pepper and she had already tried it and pronounced it yummy, but she wanted the opinion of someone who had probably drank the real thing way back when. Oh boy. Way back when and a half.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked as he took the glass from her hand and supported her with his other arm as she wobbled.

"Uh…nothing. Just thinking. I'm fine."

"You're not fine; you look like you've grown faint. Come, sit down." He led her over to the couch and sat, pulling her down beside him.

"Really. I'm fine. Are you going to try it, or not?" she grumped, frowning at him until he sighed.

"Very well." Loki lifted the glass and sipped cautiously. "Hmm. Not bad. A little on the sweet side, but not overly so." He looked over at Hogun and Fandral. "You'll like it. It doesn't have quite the strength of our mead, but it is certainly well drinkable."

"Well drinkable?" she asked, feeling a bit miffed.

"Hush, sweet lady. That is a compliment. This is much better than most of the drink we've been offered here."

"Oh, okay." She watched as Pepper finished handing out full glasses. Tony took one sip and made a face, then shrugged and took a deeper swallow.

After taking their own cautious tastes, Hogun and Fandral made approving noises and almost drained their glasses. "This is excellent," Fandral enthused. "Might there be more?"

Pepper headed over to him with the second of the three bottles they'd brought out with them. "There is, and we've a few more bottles ready in the kitchen when these are gone." She looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Kara, I don't think we're going to have to worry about cutting the recipe down."

Kara smiled. "I guess not. We'll have to try out some of the food recipes tomorrow."

"I have meetings most of the day, but if you order in the ingredients, we could try something in the late afternoon."

"That works." She frowned as Loki chuckled softly in her ear. "What?"

"Why this sudden urge to try medieval recipes?"

She shrugged. "It was a hobby a few years back. I went looking for the books after listening to Fandral going on about mead and such. As I recall, some of the food was exceptionally good, so I thought it might be fun to make some of it again."

"Hmm. I suppose you'll want me to taste it?"

"I suppose I'll _allow _you to taste it if you don't piss me off between now and then."

Kara grinned as Tony cracked up from behind them. "Snowman, haven't you learned not to provoke the redheads yet?"

"Why shouldn't I? It's so much fun watching their reactions."

"Sure it is, until you end up being couch man."

Loki gave the couch they were sitting on a puzzled look. "I don't see…"

She snickered and whispered as softly as she could, "Means you sleep on the couch instead of with me."

… …

"Ah. Hmm. But, wouldn't that mean you deprive yourself as well?"

"Yes. I don't know about Norse gods, but mortal men kind of suffer more than we mortal women do when they're 'deprived'."

Loki frowned and stared at her amused expression. "Would you truly deny me?" he whispered.

Kara laid her head back on his shoulder. "Did I even threaten it? No, that was Tony's contribution. I'm sure it's because he's been couch man before…often." She grinned as Pepper laughed from behind them. "See?"

"I do see. Well, it's a good thing I do have more reliable sources of information than Stark."

"Hey, I'm a _great _source of information about women," Stark insisted. "I know exactly what to do to piss them off, first time, every time."

"Oh, lovely. I'll surely consult with you when I want to know what not to do." He had to grin when Stark laughed and bowed theatrically before wandering off toward the lounge area. "Kara, we've had a long day. Shall we retire?"

"Absolutely."

… …

"Kara, I haven't forgotten that you have not given me your promise," Loki told her as he closed their door behind him.

Kara sighed. No, his forgetting would have been too convenient. "Of course not."

He stepped around her, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled her close. "Sweet girl, do you understand why I'm simply waiting to be brought before the tribunal?"

"No, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Everything. I am tired. No matter what I do or how I do it, it will never be right, it will never be enough. So, I come here, and what happens? I find what I've never had: love and acceptance…from you. That is all that is keeping me sane. I cannot go back; I cannot face this without knowing that you will be well and that you will have the chance to be happy."

Tears welled up, she couldn't help it. She leaned in, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry," she managed. "Okay, I promise."

His chuckle surprised her and she pulled back to look at him, dashing a hand across her eyes so that she could actually see. "What exactly do you promise?" he asked with smile. That smile widened when she flushed. "Kara, you cannot trick the trickster. Now, swear to me that you will allow Thor to petition Odin for help to heal you, and that you will not withdraw that permission when I am gone." He paused and frowned. "Also, on the off chance that the All-Father sees fit to deny his son this boon, swear that you will pursue any and all possible alternatives to become healthy again."

She sighed. "Fine. I promise all of that."

"Thank you. Now, promise me one more thing."

"What?"

"Promise me that you will try your best to find happiness and that you will allow your friends to help you."

"I don't know if I can."

"You can promise to _try_." He cupped her cheeks in his hand and stared into her eyes. "Please. I don't say please often, you know."

She smiled as he had no doubt intended. "Never thought you did. Okay, fine. I will try." Shrugging, Kara admitted, "I already promised Raj I would let him help me."

Loki frowned. "Raj is not your friend, his loyalties are to S.H.I.E.L.D., never forget that. These people here, these Avengers, they are your friends. Trust only them."

"I trust you."

"And that, my dearest lady, is likely a mistake," he said bitterly.

"You're wrong."

Loki shook his head and leaned forward a bit to touch his forehead to mine. "I'll not dissuade you, hmm?" The corner of his mouth twitched at she shook her head in return. "Have I angered you?"

"What? No." Kara decided he needed to be teased. "Are we getting in bed anytime soon, or are we talking all night."

The teasing worked. His smile was genuine and he took her chin in one lean hand and kissed her lips softly before responding. "We are getting in bed as soon as we get these garments off."

She sniffed. "About time."


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** A lot more of the smexy in this one, and I'm sorry, but it's full of important plot points, too. Skim through the smexy if you don't like it, or do a "find" on 'Heimdall' and start reading about one paragraph before his name is mentioned and then through to the end. As always, many thanks for the follows and kind remarks!

... ...

"Loki, I-I don't know if I'm up for this tonight," Kara mumbled as he nibbled on her long, lovely neck. He looked up, surprised. "I feel kind of weird."

Weird? He thought about the word for a moment until it translated properly, but was still confused. "Weird in which way? That word has many meanings."

"Strange, odd, I don't know."

"All right, why odd?"

"I guess because I've never been dying of anything before. God, Loki, I don't know."

"You are not…" he trailed off at her glare. Technically, if left to the mortals and their science, she was dying. But he was certain she could be healed by someone in Asgard. Having just won the argument for her agreement to seek help there, he was in no mood to open up the discussion again. He grinned. "Then you need something to take your mind off of it." Her sigh made him chuckle. "Yes, I'm quite certain that's what you need," he told her.

"Hmm, and you think having sex will do the job, of course," she said dryly.

"I detest it when you use that phrase, it sounds cold and heartless and you are neither."

His Kara frowned at him. "Well, what should I call it? I can't call it making love because you don't love me. There's no such thing as 'making caring', so I'm kind of stuck for a term here."

She had a point; she was wrong, but she did have a very valid point. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her downturned lips. "You love me, and I am giving you what loving I can, so I would be pleased if you called it making love," he told her. His jaw dropped slightly as tears sprang into her eyes. "Oh by the nine, I've managed it again. Kara, please don't cry."

Sniffing, she shook her head and touched his face as she managed a small smile. "I'm sorry. But you were sweet again, and it really gets to me." His expression must have shown his confusion because she chuckled softly. "Oh, Loki. Tears aren't always sad. Sometimes we cry because someone has done something that touches us deeply."

He sighed. A mortal's tears were something he was not going to understand any time soon, he decided. "Let me make love to you, my lady."

"No."

"What?" Loki frowned until she grinned mischievously.

"I'll let you make love _with_ me," she told him. "There is a difference, you know."

Loki was certain this was the time for some harmless mischief. "So there is. But I think, perhaps, you should make love to me."

Kara chuckled. "Oh, really?" He managed to keep a serious expression as she smiled up at him. "Hmm, well, you're going to have to tell me what that entails. You know how little experience I have."

Loki slid down so that he lay on his back. "You will have to ensure we're both aroused, and then you will have your way with me." His mouth twitched as she looked him up and down and her eyebrows rose.

"You are already aroused. So…oh. Hmm." His grin emerged fully as she blushed. "You want to watch me touch myself, huh?"

"My lady is a veritable prodigy," he purred. "Start with your lovely breasts," he directed. He smiled as she sat up and tentatively cupped both full breasts in her hands and stroked herself gently. "No, you're trying to arouse, not lull yourself to sleep. Harder, and don't forget your nipples. I want you to pinch them and tug on them." He smiled as she tried to comply. "Still not hard enough. Have you forgotten what you like so soon?" Loki's eyes narrowed as she began to pinch and pull on her nipples far more roughly. His smile widened when she surprised herself with a moan. "Much better. Does that not feel good, love?"

"Yes," she agreed breathily. Kara was squeezing the soft globes as forcefully as he would have done, and switching off to pinch and roll her nipples between her fingers. He could see her abdominal muscles tensing as the sensations rippled through her body. Her head arched back slightly and her moans were music to his ears.

"Very good, you're enjoying that." Her only reply was a gasp as she pinched one of her nipples sharply. "Are you getting wet, my darling girl? Check for me." He watched avidly as she spread her thighs and one hand left her breasts to dip between them, her delicate fingers disappearing between her folds.

"Yes," she finally whispered.

"That's my girl, show me, use your fingers to spread your quim open for me to see." He moved to his side and propped himself up on one arm to watch. Her soft inner lips were already glistening, she responded so well to even self-titillation. His own breathing was quickening, he could tell already that it was going to take every ounce of his self-control to not interrupt this play and simply take her. "Rub your clit, now."

Her moan was deep and throaty as she firmly rubbed her clit, and without needing to be told, she squeezed and released it several times in rapid succession. "God, Loki…that's…"

He chuckled as moisture pooled at the entrance to her canal. "Now, leave off of your breasts, love. Keep rubbing your clit and take a finger and slide it inside of you. Get it good and wet in your juices." She whimpered as she complied, then began to move her finger in and out. "No, stop. Let me taste," he ordered. Her eyes flew open. "Feed your sweet juice to me."

… …

Kara stared at him. His expression was expectant and very serious. Shuddering, she removed the finger from her canal and held it up to his lips. He took the dripping digit into his hot mouth and moaned. "Delicious," he told her. "Wet it inside you again." He waited, watching closely as she returned the finger to her now dripping sex, inserted it, and slowly pulled it back out. "Now, you taste it," he ordered.

Her eyes widened. "What? No, Loki…"

"Taste it, Kara. It's part of the experience, you will know what pleasure you give me." She gave him a doubtful look, but did as he asked. The fluid was a bit salty, with a hint of sweetness. Not bad, just…odd. Very different from the semen he'd insisted she taste last night. "Well?" he asked.

"I-well, it's okay, I guess."

"Kara, that is the taste of desire. I taste that from you and it gives me more pleasure than you can imagine." He frowned at her expression. "You enjoyed tasting me last night, I could see it in your face."

"Well, yes, but that's different."

"No, love. It is exactly the same. It is the physical manifestation of the desire you feel for me and that I feel for you. It is glorious." She thought about it for a minute, then smiled. "Do you understand, Kara?" he asked. In answer, she dipped her finger inside herself again, then made a point of licking it off as slowly and teasingly as she could manage. His groan told her that she'd succeeded.

"Yes," she whispered. "I think I do."

Loki stared at her hungrily. "That is quite enough of that, I think. Come now, love. It's time for you to ride."

"Is it?"

"Yes, and there's a fine line between being enticing and being a tease…you're perilously close to it," he growled.

She laughed. "I'm just following instructions, blame the teacher." Kara continued to grin at his petulant glare, but moved to straddle his lean hips. "Hmm. This is going to be interesting," she muttered as she looked down at him, trying to figure out the mechanics of being on top. "Okay, I think I've got this," she told him, shifting to move the soles of her feet flat on the mattress so that she could move into a semi-squatting position. Taking his erection in one hand, she used the other to balance on his hard abdomen as she guided it to her wet center. They both groaned as she slowly sheathed him within her heat.

"That…that's…perfect," he managed. "Your teacher is to be commended."

"You are so full of yourself," she told him as she pushed herself back up until the head of his cock was barely within her. "Good thing you're so damn beautiful." Letting herself slide back down his hard length, she bit her lip to hold in a moan. Loki didn't bother to try and hide his and moved his hands to her hips as he lifted his to meet her descent. "That's cheating," she scolded breathlessly.

"Not at all," he muttered and groaned as she began to pull herself back up as slowly as she could manage. "By the nine, woman, are you trying to kill me?"

Kara lowered herself again, ever so slowly, and smirked at his almost agonized expression. She fully understood his frustration. Feeling him fill her so damn slowly was torturous. But damn, was it good. "This was your idea, you know," she informed him as she pulled up again, still as slow as she could manage. This time she couldn't hold back her whimper of pleasure.

"Damnation!"

"If you don't like it," she said with a wicked grin, "do it yourself."

… …

"You are an impossible woman," he told her with a groan as she pushed herself down on him far too slowly yet again. He'd never admit it, but her slow movements were giving him the most intense pleasure he'd ever felt. Unfortunately, they were shredding his self control. He couldn't hold on too much longer.

Kara was shaking this time as she pulled back up. Her lips were compressed tightly in an effort to hold back the most delicious whimpers. "You…thrive…on impossible," she managed before beginning to lower herself again. He groaned as she fully seated herself yet again and bit back an oath as she twisted her hips from side to side. Shuddering, he watched her pull herself back up. "Loki," she whimpered. "I-please…"

Loki gasped, took a firmer hold on her hips and pulled her down sharply. She shrieked and then giggled. "Thank the gods," he told her. "I thought you'd never ask." He slid his hands up her body, tugging her down to lay against his chest. Once he had a firm hold on her, he turned them over, balancing on his knees so his greater than human weight wouldn't crush her. In one smooth move he pressed her thighs back and began to thrust urgently.

"Hey, that wasn't asking," she insisted between moans.

"Close enough," he told her and leaned forward to silence her with a swift kiss. She panted beneath him as he continued to thrust hard into her wetness. The friction was becoming almost unbearable. Kara's back was beginning to arch as she shuddered with the pleasure they shared.

His hands moved from her hips to her bouncing breasts, capturing them, and he pressed his thumbs down hard into her nipples garnering a sobbing scream. "God, yes, Loki, more…please."

He laughed and pinched the nipples, earning another shriek before squeezing the soft globes roughly. Abandoning one, he moved that hand down to her sex and rubbed her swollen clit as he captured the forsaken nipple between his lips and sucked hard. Her sex clenched around him and shuddering spasms shook her body as she began to keen with her orgasm. "Yes, love, come hard for me," he hissed as he pounded harder until he achieved his own release. Kara huffed out a pained breath as he collapsed on her for a moment before he managed to roll to the side. "Sorry, love. Lost my balance; are you all right?" He asked as he carefully examined her ribs.

"Fine," she managed. "Why so heavy?"

Loki groaned. "You are going scientist on me again," he complained.

Kara smiled and stroked his cheek. "No, I'm _going_ almost squished girlfriend on you."

His eyebrow rose. It hadn't bothered him when Stark referred to him as Kara's boyfriend, he'd understood the reference and supposed it was appropriate, so he wasn't certain why Kara claiming to be his girlfriend struck him as so very wrong. He sighed. "Our bone and muscle density is about thrice that of humans," he explained.

"What's wrong?" Of course she noticed.

He tugged her close against his chest and rubbed her lower back soothingly as she settled in. "Nothing, sweet lady. I am simply over thinking, I suppose. It's time to sleep."

"Hmm." Kara's fingers idly stroked his shoulder. He could feel her lashes brush against his skin as she blinked. "I'm not so sure I can. I guess I'm thinking too much, too."

Damnation. If she continued to think, she would start to focus on the injury to her nervous system. Loki carefully gathered his magic and molded it to his will. He turned and laid her down on her back, one arm beneath her, still holding her close. First kissing her softly, he rested his fingers on her eyebrows then drew them down to close her lids as he ordered "Sleep, sweet Kara." The magic took hold immediately and her body relaxed in slumber. His fingers continued their path down to her pouty lips. "Sweet dreams, my precious love."

… …

Heimdall frowned as he felt controlling magic being gathered on Midgard. Focusing in on the source, he saw Loki, in bed with the female who had threatened the All-Father on Loki's behalf. The Gatekeeper relaxed. It seemed the woman was having trouble sleeping. He frowned again as he heard Loki call the woman his 'precious love' after she'd succumbed to the spell. Continuing to watch, Heimdall was shocked as Loki soothingly stroked the sleeping woman's hair…she could not have felt it, so the activity was of no benefit to her or to any plan Loki may have had to use her.

The dark prince sighed deeply. "Thor must beg Odin to heal you, Kara, or I will…" he trailed off with a pained sigh. "If I have to beg Thor to do so I will," he finished softly as he tucked the woman's head under his chin.

Heimdall stood, stunned into total immobility as a tear tracked down Loki's cheek. Odin must be told.

… …

"Well," Pepper said as she joined Tony in their oversized bed. "Dinner went a lot better tonight."

He snorted. "Yeah, you could say that. No one ended up on the floor whining."

"Oh, I don't know," she smiled. "Hogun and Fandral were doing a good job of whining over having their butts whipped in the game."

"True, but that was after dinner."

"Hmm. Tony, what's up with you and Loki? You two seem to be getting almost chummy."

Tony's face settled into uncharacteristically serious lines. "I wish I knew. No, scratch that…I guess I do know, it just kills me to admit it." He put down the glass of scotch he'd been nursing - there'd been only two all evening, much to her surprise. "When he's being reasonable, he's actually kind of, well, fun."

"Fun?" Her voice was incredulous. "The man who destroyed nearly six square blocks of New York City is _fun_?"

"Yeah, I know. There's something really wrong about all of that…not the fun part, the destroying the city part. Well, the 'why the hell did he destroy the city' part. I dunno, Pep. There's something else going on, I just can't figure it out. And it's not just me, I talked to big, bad and green about it. He doesn't think this Loki is an act either."

"He's the Norse god of Lies, Tony."

"I know, I know. But even Thor thought the whole invasion thing was totally out of character for Loki, and he's known him for over a thousand years. Something strange was going on with that and the closemouthed bastard isn't fessing up."

"I had been thinking his polite and charming act was just that…an act. Do-do you think he's really like that?" she asked.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah, Thor does that courtly thing, too. Seriously, he's probably dangerous as all hell, but so is Thor if you cross him. What really is getting to me is that Kara trusts him. Based on who she does and doesn't trust in S.H.I.E.L.D., I kind of have to go with that."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Tony, Kara is in love. That screws up any woman's ability to judge a man's character."

"She trusted him before she fell in love with him. Besides, Raj Nassar trusted him too. After the first two sessions he started shutting the door. There's no way Hogun or Fandral could have gotten in there before Loki killed him if that's what he wanted to do."

"Dr. Nassar isn't Kara, he doesn't…"

"He's an empath too, Pep. Nowhere near as strong as Kara, and he can't project it at all, but he can feel what people are feeling. I don't think Loki could fool him either."

Pepper slid down from her seat against the headboard. "What are we going to do about it?" she asked.

Tony grinned. "We wait, we watch, and if we can, we help. You on board with that?"

She shrugged. "I took a chance on a drunken reprobate, didn't I?"

"Ohh, low blow, but I deserve that." He slid down and ran a calloused hand over her shoulder and toyed with the ribbons that held her camisole pajama top closed. "I think you're overdressed," he murmured roguishly.

"Well, I'm sure an engineering genius can figure out how to rectify that problem." She grinned as he tugged at the ties and the top dropped down to reveal her breasts.

"So perfect," he muttered as he leaned in to flick one nipple with his tongue.

She smiled. "And here I thought you went for big-breasted women."

"Nah, that's only for the paparazzi. I think more than a mouthful is superfluous. Yours are just exactly right."

"When did you become such a sweet-talking romantic?" she wondered.

He stilled and looked up at her with a haunted expression. "When I was taking that nuke away from the city, I tried to call you. I…I wanted to tell you that I was sorry, that I was sorry I'd never get the chance to show you how much you meant to me, how much I loved you. I guess the connection didn't go through, I waited too long."

"Oh, Tony, you don't have to…"

"Yeah, I do, let me finish." He waited until she nodded. "I thought I was going to die, and I swore that if I got a second chance…though I guess this is actually my third chance, that I would be all the things to you that I should have been all along. I love you so damn much it scares the hell out of me. I know, you don't think you're all that hot or perfect or whatever. But you are perfect. You're perfect for me."

"Thank you, Tony," she murmured, stroking his cheek with a trembling hand. "I love you too."


	22. Chapter 22

Bruce smiled as he looked over the chess pieces still remaining on his board. He'd chosen his moves…his next four moves if Loki followed the campaign he expected, and had time to relax for a change. The past few days had fallen into a comfortable routine. He looked across the room to where Loki stood staring down at the board in front of Hogun, contemplating his next move there. Well, as much of a routine as you could have with aliens from Asgard living in the tower. Each morning when he came up for breakfast Bruce found Kara and Loki sitting at one end of the table, eating quietly, occasionally sharing a few words, looks or touches. Hogun and Fandral would show up when he'd finished cooking, it was as if they could smell that the food was ready. Or, wait, hmm. "Jarvis?" he asked the AI quietly. "Have either Fandral or Hogun asked you to inform them when I've finished cooking breakfast?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner," Jarvis informed him, mimicking his soft confidential tone.

"Ah. Thank you." Gotcha, he thought. They must have gotten over their distrust of the 'hidden brain' as they referred to the AI and decided to put it to use. It was about time. Tony usually strolled in next to grab coffee and a couple of pastries before heading to his workshop. Bruce never saw Pepper in the morning, just her dishes in the otherwise empty dishwasher. After breakfast Loki and Kara would either go to the gym where Loki supervised her work on strength training, or if Tony had a new upgrade ready, to the testing room to help with armor testing. Hogun and Fandral generally spent the rest of the morning in the gym or sparring in what they'd dubbed 'the arena', an area Tony was converting for all of the Avengers who needed practice time to exercise their various abilities. Lunch was ordered in, and Kara saw patients sent over from S.H.I.E.L.D. in the afternoon while Loki wandered between Tony's workshop, his lab and his suite and 'the boys' as Kara referred to them, went back to their sparring. Dinner was cooked by Tony's chef and then after dinner was game or movie time before they all headed off to their own suites.

After trouncing 'the boys' at HALO the first night they'd all spent together, Loki had suggested they draw straws to determine who would choose the evening's activity. Tony's choice was to have a movie night. They'd settled on the two Ghostbusters films, forgetting until the first was well underway that both films included attacks on New York City. The humans in the group had all been shooting Loki concerned looks, wondering if he'd take it as a slight, but he'd simply sat in the oversized armchair, Kara tucked into his side, and laughed at the antics of Bill Murray and company in the climactic scene. Loki laughing in enjoyment was apparently rare. Hogun and Fandral had stared at him with their mouths hanging open until he'd noticed. His semi-annoyed comment of "What? It was quite amusing," had made them all relax and enjoy the second movie and the ongoing joke about 'But…but…is Viggo! Is Viggo dahling!', without worrying about his reaction.

Pepper had chosen monopoly the third night, and had won handily. His own choice of several classic Disney movies had surprised everyone and had earned him a plethora of teasing comments from Tony, Pepper and Kara. Hogun had chosen action movies last night, and tonight it was Loki's choice, and they were playing chess. Bruce looked back over at Hogun in time to see Loki reach for one of the pieces on Hogun's board and move it.

"Check," the standing god said. Hogun frowned and reached to move a piece, then hesitated as Loki spoke. "You do realize you'll be back in check after my next move if you choose that one?" Loki commented.

"If you make no mistakes," Hogun agreed. "Though Lady Pepper has conceded, you are still playing four games, you could get distracted."

Bruce smiled, thinking that was highly unlikely as Loki chuckled. "Perhaps, though I much doubt I could get quite _that_ distracted. Think about that move some more," he advised. Loki then moved on to Tony's game. "Hmm. Interesting move, Stark. But the wrong one, I'm afraid."

"Geez. Ice Man, are you ever going to stop calling me Stark?" Tony asked.

"Certainly, about the same time you stop calling me by ridiculous nicknames," Loki told him as he leaned over to make his move. Tony was staring up with his mouth slightly open when his opponent smirked. "Checkmate in four," Loki told him as he moved away.

He had to chuckle at his friend's expression. "Son of a bitch. I fell for it," Tony muttered as he examined his board and then looked up to meet Bruce's eyes. "Damn, I would have loved to see him play Bobby Fischer."

"We didn't have much of an audience," Loki said as he moved on to Kara's board. "He was rather annoyed with tournament play and sliding into recluse mode by then."

"What? Are you telling me you played him?" Tony's eyes had grown huge.

"Yes. It was quite some time ago by your reckoning." Loki paused, looking thoughtful. "Thirty of your years, I believe, in San Francisco."

"Uh, Jarvis?" Tony began.

"Yes sir. Bobby Fischer often resided in the San Francisco Bay-area home of a Canadian Grandmaster during that period."

"Huh. So, Loki, who won?"

Bruce bit back a chuckle as Loki straightened and gave Tony an incredulous look. "Seriously, Anthony? I did, of course. Though he did far better against me than Peter Biyiasas, the friend he was staying with." Loki turned back to Kara's board, stared down at it a moment and sighed. "You've gotten distracted, haven't you?" he asked her in a chiding tone.

Kara frowned. "A bit." She stared down at the board for a minute. "Oh. Crap." Shaking her head she tipped over her queen. "I blew it with that last move, sorry."

"It's all right, love. But you mustn't brood."

"Pot, meet kettle," she muttered as she stood, kissed his cheek, and headed into the kitchen. "Anyone want anything?" she asked.

Fandral looked up from where he was watching a movie with the sound turned down. "Have you more of your sugared bites of pork, my lady?" he said, referring to one of the medieval recipes they'd all agreed was a new snack staple.

"Yes, I'll heat up another tray. Anyone want drinks while I'm up?" she asked.

"I'll have a glass of the glögg if you don't mind," Bruce asked. He'd become fond of the spiced wine, though he kept his consumption low. The last thing he needed was a loss of control. The 'other guy' had stayed quiet unless purposely unleashed as of late, but there was no sense in tempting fate.

Pepper stood from where she'd been curled up on the loveseat beside Tony and watching his game ever since losing hers. "I'll help with that," she offered as hands went up around the room. She looked down as Tony turned his puppy dog expression on her. "And yes, I'll get you a refill on your scotch," she agreed. Tony had been taking it very easy on the alcohol since his engagement. Bruce was wondering how long that would last.

"Thanks, gorgeous," Tony said, squeezing her hand as she moved away. "Crap, you're right. I really can't get out of this," he continued, looking over at Loki. He tipped his queen to the side as well.

"You did rather well until that last move. You should have sacrificed your remaining knight."

"Yeah, well, I'm not much on sacrificing members of my team."

… …

Loki stopped on his way to Banner's board. "What are you insinuating, Stark," he asked quietly, doing his best not to get angry with the man.

"What? Nothing." Stark stared into the glass Pepper had brought over to him. Loki nodded his thanks as the woman handed him a glass of the spiced wine. "Well, kind of trying to piece things together since you won't open your damn mouth and talk about it. Why the hell did you send Legolas back into the depths of the Helicarrier? You had to know he'd run into someone."

"I _knew _nothing of the kind. He went where I needed him." He stared down at Banner's board. The scientist was an excellent player. His game was still flawless and Loki knew himself to be, without conceit, one of the best players currently residing on the planet. They played chess in Asgard, it was the one activity he'd enjoyed with his…with Thor's father. The All Father was an excellent player, but did get emotional about it from time to time, causing his few losses. Banner was keeping his emotions out of the game. He had a great deal of practice with that in controlling his beast, Loki supposed. He reached down to make his move and then bit back a grin as he noted Banner's consternation. He'd switched the style of his play mid-game and had undoubtedly ruined Banner's planned next moves.

"So, you wanted him to be captured, maybe even reclaimed," Stark continued. "Come on, Loki, admit it. You let him go."

"We're not discussing my failed plans, Anthony," Loki grated, mindful of his assertion that he'd use Stark's name so long as Stark used his, regardless of how annoyed he was with the too damned insightful genius. Kara was staring at him thoughtfully now, damn Stark's lack of discretion. He smiled at the mortal's wince knowing the man did not care to have his full given name used, preferring the ridiculous nickname. He strode briskly over to Hogun's board and glanced down at it. The grim warrior had made an unexpected move. "You've extended the game, Hogun. I'm impressed." Picking up his own queen, he positioned it to counter the next move he expected his opponent to make.

Hogun nodded and looked up to take a plate of the 'pumpes' as Kara called them as she passed several out. "My thanks," he said briefly, and then popped two of the spiced and sugared pork delicacies into his mouth.

"You're welcome. And no, Fandral, I haven't forgotten yours," Kara said as she passed a plate over the back of the couch. Loki smirked as she deftly slapped Fandral's other hand as he reached for a second plate. "No, you only get one plate this round. And don't pout at me, you're not nearly as good at it as you think."

"You'll grow as large as Volstagg if you continue to eat as you've been," Loki teased. He smiled down as Kara held up a plate and he took one of the treats before she settled back down in the oversized armchair she'd been sharing with him during their evenings with the others. "Thank you, love," he murmured quietly, caressing her cheek with his other hand. "I should be done with Hogun's game shortly. Perhaps then we could move Dr. Banner's game over to the alcove here and get comfortable while we play."

"Is he going to last that much longer?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"If he makes no mistakes, yes." He looked over his shoulder to where the scientist was frowning thoughtfully at his board and contemplating the chaos that Loki had brought to his carefully plotted game. "Banner is actually one of the best mortal players I've encountered outside of Fischer and his ilk."

Stark snickered. "Ilk…who says 'ilk' anymore?"

"Those of us who actually employ a reasonably diverse vocabulary," Loki countered. "And scientific terms do not count," he added as Stark opened his mouth to retort. "They are far too specialized."

"You've got me there, Frosty."

… …

Kara smiled as Loki's mouth curved up into an impish grin. "Of course I do, Tin Man," he told Tony. She couldn't hold back the giggle and pretended to choke on a meatball to hide it. "I heard that, love," Loki whispered as he leaned down and brushed his lips along her jaw.

"Tin man? Hmm. Not bad. But you don't really want to start a snark war with me, Mr. Freeze, you'd lose."

"So sure of that, Rust Bucket?"

"Okay, guys, that's enough," Pepper interrupted. "There's no way this can end well, so knock it off now."

Tony sighed theatrically. "You never let me have any fun."

"It's only fun until someone pisses off the big guy," Bruce told them. "So quiet down, Tony, I'm trying to concentrate here."

Kara looked up at Loki, whose expression showed he was having difficulty resisting the impulse to comment. She took his hand and squeezed it until he looked down at her with an amused smile. "Maybe I should even the odds and disturb your concentration?" she offered.

"Ah, no. I'd rather not have them witness what it would take for you to distract me quite that much."

"Spoilsport."

Loki shrugged. "What's mine is mine and I have never been much good at sharing."

Her heart stuttered. Comments like that had been growing more frequent each day…possessive comments, comments that she would have normally attributed to a man in love. And he hadn't called her a mortal in at least three days. His embraces and caresses had become public and less hesitant, yet he still refused to acknowledge anything more than caring. It was incredibly frustrating. Of course, if he did love her, she still wasn't sure she wanted to know. It was going to be hard enough to let him go as things stood. "Why am I not surprised," she managed with a smile when she realized he was frowning at her lack of response.

"Because you know me too well."

… …

"Okay, that's all of them," Steve Rogers called out as he dropped down from the top of the ancient ruins in Machu Picchu. "If they even tried to cut that one out of there, the whole thing would crumble. Looks like the next good earthquake will take it out as it is."

The Black Widow stared at the area surrounding the ruins. "And any remains once it crumbled would be next to impossible to collect in their entirety. Too many crevices and such. They'd never find all of the pieces to reconstruct it with," she decided.

"The sensors are up and running. Headquarters reports they're getting a clear signal on all of the locations now. We can wrap it up and head home," Barton said as he poked his head out of the Quinjet. "Nat, you ready to fly us out of here?"

Steve paled. The flight in had been…an adventure. Clint hadn't mentioned until after their very hairy landing that Nat had only been flying solo for a little over a month and had never landed in an area this tricky. Talking about trial by fire, geez. "Maybe you should fly us out, Hawk," Nat said, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

"No, you'll never learn without doing. Tell you what, though. I'll ride up front with you in case you run into problems," Clint offered as Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

They picked up the rest of the gear and trooped up the ramp and took their seats. Steve opted for the seat next to the emergency chutes thinking he could pass them out if they were going down. Not that it would be necessary, but just in case. Right. He shook his head and stared down at the deck and reviewed their mission accomplishments as the jet powered up and began takeoff. He compressed his lips tightly as the entire bird lurched to one side let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as it straightened and rose smoothly. "Thank you, God," he whispered.

"There you go. Good job, Nat, couldn't have done it better myself," Barton said. "Let's head home."

Steve blanched. That was a good takeoff?

… …

Natasha nodded as she entered navigation instructions into the Quinjet's system. Though she'd never admit it, Clint's faith in her ability had helped immeasurably. He wasn't the type to give false assurances. It was one of the many things she appreciated about him. Hawkeye could always be counted on to be a straight shooter…and not just with his weapons. "Are we staying on the carrier, or getting a ride out to Stark's tower?"

"Fury is going to have a ride ready for us," Barton replied. "Apparently he's reluctantly approved Dr. G's return to Stark's and he wants us there for the duration in case she needs backup."

"Backup with what?"

Barton gave her an annoyed look. "With Loki. Sounds like he's fully recovered. There's all kinds of crap he could get into if we don't keep a lid on him."

Rogers looked up from where he'd been staring intently at the deck of the craft. He'd been looking a bit green ever since their rough landing a few hours ago. "I honestly don't think he's going to be a problem," their de-facto leader offered. "He seemed kind of resigned to being returned to Asgard when I talked to him."

"That bastard has plans within plans, Cap," Clint muttered as he fiddled with his quiver, changing out some of the specialty arrowheads for their more standard counterparts from the storage portion on the side. "He may be cooperating because he's still in danger from the Chitauri, but that doesn't mean we can trust him."

"I didn't say we trust him." Rogers fell silent and he frowned thoughtfully. "There's so much we don't know, it just doesn't all fit for me. But seriously, my gut tells me he's not going to cause any problems there."

Natasha nodded. Her instincts had been telling her the same thing. The only thing she was worried about was her belief that Kara was falling in love with their resident war criminal. That would be a big problem in the long run, regardless of Loki's intentions to behave. Eventually, Thor would take him home, and then they'd have an emotionally shattered pyrokinetic empath to deal with. That was a serious concern. "If Clint's right, we'll be there if he causes a problem. If not, we've got some down time. I, for one, intend to enjoy it."

… …

Hogun and Fandral were party poopers, that's all there was to it. They'd bailed after Hogun had been checkmated. Tony sat on the loveseat with Pepper, pondering…things. Loki's reaction to his questions about what had led up to them recovering Hawkeye had been telling. He hadn't missed the man's emphasis on the word 'knew'. Now he was left believing Loki had planned or at least hoped someone would take Barton away from him. What other of the suspiciously lucky coincidences that led to their victory were actually part of his convoluted plan? Bastard was such a pain in the ass. If he'd just tell them…but no. That wouldn't be Loki. He groaned as he realized that he was actually starting to understand the Norse god. That couldn't be a good thing. "What's wrong, Tony?" Pepper asked, lifting her head from his shoulder.

He looked into her concerned eyes. "Nothing, Pep. I was just thinking about some tweaks I wanted to make on the suit but forgot to do because I got distracted. It's all good, I'll take care of it tomorrow." Great. Now he was lying to his fiancé of less than a week. But there was no way in hell he was going to worry her with any of this. She had enough on her plate with Stark Industries.

"Am I going to wake up in the middle of the night, alone in bed because you snuck back to your workshop?"

Smiling at her, he took her left hand and lifted it to press his lips to her palm. "No, I promise. I will not leave you alone in bed unless we have a bona fide emergency. Of if I have to use the bathroom."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Check."

Tony looked up in surprise. "Whoa, way to go, Bruce." This was the first time any of them had put Loki in check all night. Of course, the god of mischief and lies had his girlfriend half on and half off his lap, and knowing how they had been acting in close quarters over the past few evenings, she was probably bringing one hell of a distraction to the game. Heh, another good reason for her to be called Hellbringer, though he seriously doubted anyone but him would have made the connection.

"It's a temporary setback, I assure you," Loki said, sounding irritated. He leaned forward and moved a piece, Tony couldn't see which one from his angle. "Kara, stop that," he muttered to the woman in his lap.

Tony chuckled. "Woman problems, Lokes?"

"You wish you had a problem like this," Loki snapped.

"Pepper, I think you've been insulted," Tony told the love of his life.

"Or complimented for knowing when not to distract you, however much you would enjoy it," she countered.

Loki looked back at them with a frown. "Definitely the latter, Pepper. I do enjoy the distraction, but…"

"You're a sore loser," Tony finished for him.

"I haven't lost yet, Anthony." Loki sighed. "Kara, please stop."

"Fine. Wake me when the game's over," she groused. "I'm going to turn in."

"Check," Bruce said again.

… …

"Damnation. Ah…I see." Loki frowned down at the board as he recognized Banner's gambit. He examined the remaining pieces, he should have enough to counter it and still win decisively. The man's play was impressive, he admitted to himself. Hogun had surprised him as well, their game had gone on a good half-dozen moves after his initial check. Thor's old friend had taken his loss gracefully and had politely thanked Loki for the game before departing.

Banner looked up at him as he moved. "Yes, you do see." His smile was self-depreciating. "I figured you would, but it was nice to surprise you for a change."

"You did. I'm quite impressed. I cannot lay the blame for that on Kara, your level of play was well beyond what I'd anticipated." He moved his queen.

"Thanks." Banner moved his sole remaining knight in response, just as Loki had anticipated. The scientist frowned at Loki's return move. "Damn. All I did was buy a little time."

Loki shrugged. "Much of this game is all about buying a little time…time until your opponent makes a mistake. Now that I'm no longer distracted, I hope to make no more mistakes."

"Honey, they're ho-ome!" Stark called out as he returned from escorting his lady back to their suite.

"Anthony, what are you blathering about?"

"Jarvis just informed me that a S.H.I.E.L.D. craft is dropping off our missing teammates. It's time to all gang up and figure out ways to make Captain Bashful blush."

"_Your _teammates," Loki muttered as he responded to Banner's latest move.

"Yeah, yeah. Get technical on me, why don't you?"

"I'm not being technical. I simply think Barton and Romanov would appreciate the distinction."

"True. Huh, you don't think it would bother Captain Perfect?"

Loki shrugged. "Rogers is idealistic, I believe he'd like to hope that I'm redeemable, no matter how laughable that may be."

Stark looked thoughtful. "You could be right."

"You know I'm right, about this, at least."

"That's really annoying, particularly when I'm this sober."

Chuckling, Loki told him, "It's supposed to be." He turned back to the board and moved. "Check and mate in two moves."

Banner sighed as he tipped over his queen. "You may be a puny god, but you're one hell of a chess player."

… …

Steve frowned when Jarvis directed them to the game room. "I was really hoping to just get a shower and hit the hay."

"Chin up, Cap. We just need to check in," Hawkeye told him. "Once we make sure our prisoner is secure, we can get some well-earned rest."

"Clint, he's a guest, not a prisoner."

"Tell that to Fury. Until headquarters says otherwise, I'm treating him as a prisoner."

This was going to be a problem if it kept up, Steve decided. "Okay, listen up." He waited until both of the assassins turned to stare at him. "You two need to make a decision. Are you Avengers or are you S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? After what we uncovered before the invasion, and after the decision S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council made to nuke New York and all of its innocent civilians while we were fighting there, I don't think it's possible for you to be both."

Steve watched Clint's face cloud up. Nat's look was thoughtful. "We'll have to think about that," she told him.

"I figured. You've been loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time. I fully expect you to have to do some soul searching before you make a decision. But do us all a favor and give it top priority. We really need to know that we can count on both of you."

The two exchanged looks. "We'll do that, Cap," Clint agreed as the elevator doors opened. They all turned and walked into the game room where Dr. Banner was standing and, of all things, shaking Loki's hand. "What the fuck," Clint muttered. From his expression, it looked like Loki heard him.

"You've missed game night," their guest told them blandly.

Stark stood from where he'd been perched on the back of a chair. "You should have seen it. Loki played five games simultaneously and totally skunked everybody but Brucie-boy here."

"Figures," Clint muttered. Steve poked him in the back. "Get off my back, Cap. Dude is the Norse god of lies, he's probably great at poker, too."

Loki frowned. "I've never played that game, though I've heard of it, of course. Perhaps that will be chosen as an activity for another night."

Steve looked at Stark for an explanation. "We've been drawing straws to see who picks an after dinner activity. We've done video games, movies, board games and chess. Keeps us all out of trouble," the billionaire said with a shrug.

"Speak for yourself, Anthony. We both know I'll always be in trouble here," Loki said. "I'll bid you all a good night." He pointedly walked around them and entered the elevator, glaring at the floor until the doors closed.

"Crap, thanks a lot, bow flex. We had a really nice night going here. No arguments, no one getting pissy. Shit, I need a drink."

"You always need a drink, Stark," Clint spat.

"No. All damn fucking week I have not needed a drink. Ask Jarvis. My stash has not had to be refilled once. Then you come in with your fucking chip on your shoulder and flush all our hard work down the fucking toilet, bird brain!"

"Stark, take it easy," Steve asked. "We don't know what's been going on here."

"You're damn right, you don't. We found out the fucking containment field has done some possibly irreversible damage to Kara's nervous system. She's probably going to die if Odin can't be convinced to help. On top of that, S.H.I.E.L.D. is ready to sell her down the fucking river because they think she's too dangerous. The only one who's been able to keep her from losing hope is Loki."

"You've got to be kidding me," Clint said.

"No, big bird, I'm dead serious. Loki called Nick on this shit with the Council. Loki convinced her to promise that she'd allow Thor to petition Odin for help and to promise she wouldn't give up on finding a cure. Loki found a problem with the fucking armor I designed for her that would have gotten her killed if he hadn't pointed it out. Loki, the guy you just totally dissed is the guy who is saving the life of the woman who is pretty much single-handedly putting your head back together."

Steve winced at Clint's ragged laugh. "Pretty ironic considering he's the one who pulled it apart."

"Yeah, maybe so. But maybe this is the only way he can find to try and make it up to us…to you."

Clint looked down at the floor. "Well, shit."

… …

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for all of the kind comments and reviews. I really enjoy hearing your insights and reactions. I'm hard at work on Chapter 23, and I'm warning you in advance, it's going to be a tear-jerker. No, no character deaths, rest easy on that front, I'm not _that_ cruel an author!


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** More of the smexy, skip down to the set of … … after the ones that follow this note to get to the parts of the plot you don't want to miss if you don't like the smexy! For those who hoped for another chapter before Christmas, I'm happy that I was able to oblige! Thanks again for all of the lovely reviews, they are a balm to my soul.

… …

Kara sat down on the edge of the bed after returning from the bathroom. Surprisingly, Loki was still asleep. If he didn't awaken first, he usually woke the moment she moved out of his embrace. The irritation and the feeling that was almost depression that she'd gotten from him when he'd joined her last night must have kept him awake long after she'd fallen asleep. She sighed and settled back down, smiling as his arms automatically enfolded her.

They'd talked a good bit after he'd come to bed. Clint, Nat and Steve had returned and Clint had been giving him a hard time. She understood it, and in a rare bout of self-honesty, so did Loki. But that didn't make it any less upsetting. He'd been doing so well, getting along with her friends and even his brother's Asgardian companions. She was pretty sure that Tony was coming to grips with the fact that he actually liked Loki as a person and that something about his behavior surrounding the invasion stunk to high heaven. Kara knew for a fact that Tony was as frustrated by Loki's refusal to confide in them as she was.

In the end, they'd made love, as they always did, but Loki had been needier, almost desperate in his efforts to please her, as if he thought Clint's attitude could affect her feelings for him. She found herself sighing again as she rubbed her cheek against his collarbone. "What's wrong, love?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing, just enjoying the moment."

"Hmm. Perhaps we should both enjoy the moment…much more," he purred as he turned, pulling her under him. Kara smiled as he nuzzled her neck while his fingers parted her folds, teasing her into readiness. She gasped as he nipped the tendon in her neck and then sucked on what he called her 'sweet spot'. Moaning, she clutched his shoulders and arched her back until her breasts pressed against his braced body. "I so adore your responsiveness, sweet lady," he murmured as two long fingers thrust deep within her, dragging a pleasured groan from her throat. His thumb continued to do amazing things to her clit as his fingers delved within her and she was quickly thrashing with her first release.

Yes, her first release. There were always several, it seemed. Kara laughed as he moved her thighs back so that he could enter her with his hard cock. His eyebrow rose, but he didn't comment as he positioned himself and thrust in deep and hard. "God, Loki, I love that," she muttered.

"As do I, sweet Kara." He balanced on one elbow, using his free hand to ravage her breasts as he continued his leisurely deep thrusts. The contrast between the slow penetrations and withdrawal against the quick rough attention he gave to her nipples was swiftly driving her to a second orgasm. A sharp pinch to a nipple, timed perfectly with a nip to her neck and a particularly hard thrust sent her over the edge again. He chuckled at her soft scream and captured her lips in a deep, possessive kiss. As she settled, Kara realized the damn man was still hard as steel within her.

"How…damn. I hate that and I love it at the same time," she complained.

"What?"

"That you're still hard and I'm, well…"

"Well loved?"

"Humph. That's one way of putting it."

He laughed, then urged her to her knees. "You love it far more than you hate it, Kara. Admit it, it's all the more pleasure for you to enjoy."

She yelped as he moved behind her, positioned himself and began to pound hard and fast into her sex. "God, yes…"

… …

The thunder died down as he landed on what he'd been told was the 'launching area' of Stark's tower. Thor shook off the disorientation that accompanied this method of travel between the realms and strode towards the opening door. "Welcome, Prince Thor," the voice of Jarvis, Stark's hidden assistant said.

He frowned. It would take much to get used to this thing. "My thanks." He continued inside, then stopped to get his bearings. Ah, the kitchen was this way, and at this time of day likely held at least some of the tower's permanent occupants. Entering the dining area of the large room he saw Hogun and Fandral finishing up plates of food. Dr. Banner was placing dirtied dishes into a low cabinet of some sort. Captain Rogers was standing by the counter, sipping a steaming beverage. "Good morrow," Thor greeted the group.

"Oh, hey," Banner said, straightening. "We were beginning to worry you'd forgotten about your buddies here," he said, gesturing at his two friends. "They've been getting a bit restless."

Thor grinned. "Never, good doctor. They have been in my thoughts, as has my brother. Tell me, how fares Loki?"

"You can ask him yourself in about a half hour, he and Kara usually show up by nine. But he's doing well, seems to be fully recovered, in fact."

"Has he caused problems for you?"

"Nah, he's been on his best behavior." Thor turned as Tony Stark entered the room. "Have you come for the party?" Stark continued.

"What party is this, man of iron?"

"My engagement party. Pepper has, probably foolishly, agreed to marry me, and we're going to be celebrating that with a big party this weekend."

"Ah, congratulations, my friend. I fear we will not be able to attend, however regretfully. I must return to Asgard with my brother and my friends, and quickly. Odin has commanded it."

"You…oh. Crap." Stark was rubbing his face with both hands, he looked distinctly unhappy.

"What is wrong?" he asked the man. "Do you not wish to be relieved of your charge?"

Stark dropped his hands, looking, for once, at a loss for words. "Ah, actually, he was, um, kind of fitting in here. Honestly, I guess I'm sorry to see him go."

Thor stared at him in surprise…glad surprise, but surprise nonetheless. "This…this is unexpected, but I am well pleased to hear it." He looked at the other two mortals. "And what of you, Dr. Banner, Captain Rogers. Will you be sorry to see my brother leave?"

Rogers shrugged. "I haven't been here, Thor, so I don't have an opinion either way."

"I do. It's been good for him, for the most part," Banner offered. "I think it's been good for us, too. He's made a number of important contributions to our safety, and he's been a…good companion, I guess you could say."

Thor placed both hands on the table and closed his eyes briefly before looking at Hogun and Fandral. "And you, my friends. What have you to say about Loki?"

The two eyed each other. "We, too, have enjoyed his company," Fandral finally said. "I do not know if he has changed overmuch, or if our understanding of him has changed. Regardless, this has been a good week."

Hogun nodded. "It is both," he said shortly.

"I'm glad to hear it. Unfortunately, we must return to Asgard." He pulled a small chest from the armor bag he had slung across his back. "I have brought the tesseract, as you call it. I did not use it coming here, lest it attract our enemy's attention, but we will use it to return. The Bifröst is not yet repaired sufficiently to transport us all. I need to rouse my brother, is he in the same rooms?" he asked the others.

"Yeah, same suite you left him in," Rogers answered. "Right this way." Thor followed the captain down the short hall to the stairs that led down one floor. They traveled down the corridor and stopped in front of the door to the suite where Loki had been taken after his misadventure. Rogers knocked, but they waited to no avail. He tried the door, but it would not open. "Jarvis, are they in there?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers."

He knocked again and again they waited. "Maybe we should come back later," Rogers finally said, sounding discomfited.

"Nay, it is urgent. Cannot Jarvis cause the door to open?"

"I suppose. Jarvis, please unlock the door."

"Yes, captain." The hidden voice sounded reluctant, but they heard a clicking sound in the vicinity of the door's handle.

"Thank you, friend Jarvis," Thor said, and grasped the door to push it open. He strode in, closely followed by Rogers who gasped as they stopped short facing the room's bed. The reason for their knocks being ignored was clear. His brother was engaged in lovemaking with Dr. Gunnarssen, an activity which, by their mutual sounds of pleasure, they were both greatly enjoying. He couldn't help but stare, delighted that his brother had found such acceptance.

"Oh my God," Rogers muttered. Thor looked at him and as he started to say something else, clapped his hand over the mortal's mouth and started moving them back out of the room. The figures on the bed paused and Loki looked back over his shoulder.

He sighed and shook his head. "Thor, you always did have the worst timing. Do you mind?"

Thor chuckled. "I am sorry, brother. I will withdraw, but I must ask you to, uh, finish and then say your good-byes. We must leave for Asgard and quickly." He deposited the bag that had been slung across his back on the floor. "I have had your armor rebuilt and new garments fashioned for you. I'll see you upstairs."

"Fine. Now, get out."

Thor couldn't resist chuckling again as he dragged a now red-faced Captain Rogers out of the room and closed the door behind them. "Friend Jarvis, would you lock the door again?"

"Certainly, your highness," the voice replied as the lock clicked.

He began to stride back towards the staircase, halting when he realized Rogers had not moved. "What is wrong, captain?" he asked.

"I-I, that…oh my God."

"What? Does my brother having a relationship with the healer distress you?"

"I-ah, no. It's just, I didn't know it was…oh God. I feel so stupid."

Thor stared at the red-faced man. "It is a natural function and a good thing so long as all of the participants are of age and have consented. Do you not believe Dr. Gunnarssen has consented?"

Rogers leaned back against the wall. He looked absolutely stunned. "Ah, I guess."

"Then what is the problem? Certainly it is unfortunate we interrupted them, but such things happen."

"Sweet God in heaven. Not to me they don't." Thor frowned as Rogers pushed himself away from the wall and hurried past him, shaking his head. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life," he muttered.

… …

Loki sighed as Kara shuddered beneath him. He pulled away from her, his passion lost to his brother's interruption. "I'm sorry, love," he told her as he laid down and pulled her into his arms.

"It's not your fault." She wrapped her arms around him, stretching up to kiss his lips. "Loki…"

"Don't. Please." He looked down at her as lashes brushed his chin to see her blinking rapidly, her kaleidoscope eyes wet with yet to be shed tears. "Ah, Kara. I'm not worthy of your tears," he said.

"Damn it, Loki. You don't get to decide that. I decide who is worth crying over and who isn't. And…and I know you don't need me making this harder for you than it is." She sat up and grabbed a tissue from the box that sat on her night table and wiped her eyes with it. "I'm sorry."

"As am I." He slid to the edge of the bed and sat beside her, pulling her back against his chest. "I am sorry for so many things, but most of all, I am sorry for causing you this pain, this sorrow." He kissed her clenched jaw and ran his fingers through her mussed hair. "I am not sorry to have won your love. That is a gift I will never regret receiving." He kissed her lips gently as she turned toward him and then rose to head into the bathing chamber. "I'd best clean up and dress. Thor would not pull me away from you so abruptly if he were not under some time constraint."

"Okay." Kara was still sitting on the side of the bed when he returned from the bathing chamber, refreshed as much as he could manage without taking the time for a bath. He opened the armor bag that Thor had left for him and pulled his armor, helm and clothing from it. He dressed and armored quickly. Kara stared up at him as he settled the dress helm on his head. "Wow," she said softly. "That's even more impressive in person than it was on the security tapes," she said as she looked him up and down. "I don't think I'll ever get over how amazing and beautiful you are," she whispered.

He took her hands and drew her to her feet. "Nor I, you, sweet Kara." He tilted his head town and claimed her lips, reveling in the feel of her arms around him for the last time, drinking it in so that he might always remember it. "No matter where I am, or how long I live, I shall never forget you," he promised. Biting back a sigh as her eyes filled with tears again he pulled away. "I-I must go. Remember your promise and take good care of yourself," he said sternly.

As Loki suspected, his order made her smile. "I will. And you remember that Thor is your brother, regardless of how you feel about Odin, okay?"

That much he could give her. He would have to if he wished Thor to ask his boon of the All-Father. "I will. My brother does not deserve my enmity over the deception. Farewell, my lady." He turned to the door and extended his power to unlock and pull it open so that he would not have to pause. Walking away was difficult enough without a necessity to hesitate in any way. As the door closed behind him he took a shuddering breath and looked back at it. "Good-bye, my love," he whispered before turning again and striding towards the stairs, using his power to put his helm and the heavier pieces of his armor away. "Jarvis, engage Hellbringer protocol one, one, two, eight, six, zero-G," he told the system. "Authorization on my voice match."

"Yes, your highness," the system replied. "The Hellbringer protocol is engaged."

"Thank you, Jarvis." He smiled as he ran up the stairs enjoying using that last bit of mischief to ease the pain of parting.

… …

Thor looked up as his brother strode into the room and came to a halt, staring at the gathered Avengers. "Did you need to summon them all to witness my departure?" he asked snidely.

"I summoned no one, Loki. They simply came."

Pepper stood closest to him. "We wanted to say good-bye. It wouldn't be right to let you just go off without seeing you."

Loki frowned, but took the woman's outstretched hand and gallantly lifted it to his lips. "I don't understand the gesture, but I see you meant no harm by it."

"No, of course not. I just wanted to say I'll miss you, and I'm hoping for the best for you."

Thor hid a smile as Loki's eyebrows rose in astonishment. "Why…thank you, my lady…Pepper. I shall miss you as well. Please accept my good wishes on your nuptials. I regret that I will not witness them."

Pepper moved closer to his brother and kissed his cheek. Thor turned away, pretending not to see Loki's shocked blush. Captain Rogers stepped forward next. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to get to know you," the man said. "Um, I scribble some, and I drew this when I took a watch over you and Dr. G when you were still out of it. I, ah, based on your, um, relationship, I thought you might like to have it. It's okay if you don't…I just thought I'd offer…" he trailed off looking embarrassed as he handed a sheet of paper to Loki. Thor stepped forward to take a look. It was a skillfully rendered portrait of his unconscious brother with Dr. Gunnarssen sprawled where she had collapsed in exhaustion on his chest.

Loki stared at the artwork for several minutes. "You have great skill," he finally said. "And I would treasure this, but I don't believe the material would survive the trip to Asgard. Perhaps you should keep it," he said, sounding regretful.

"Oh," Pepper said. "I have something you can transport it in, if I get it, would you like to take it with you?"

"Yes, certainly," Loki told her. He turned to Rogers. "In that case, I thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Captain?" Loki asked. "You, I know, are a man of your word. Might I ask your word in something?"

"Well, you can ask."

His brother smiled. "It is nothing dishonorable. I ask your word that you will look after Kara, see that she is protected, even from herself. She is…distraught just now, and I fear she will forget her promises to me that she will allow herself to be aided by her friends."

"Oh, absolutely. You can count on it."

"Good, thank you." Loki took a few more steps then halted as the Hawkeye moved into his path. "Agent Barton," he said quietly to the archer.

"It's just Barton. Nat and I are going to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D. later today, the Avengers are going to be an independent team. I'm not here to bust your chops. I heard what you've been doing for Dr. G, and I thought I should tell you that it's appreciated."

"Good. You will all need to stand together now that…events have brought you there." Loki paused and looked at the floor for a moment before meeting the shorter man's eyes. "I understand that what I did caused you great anguish. If there had been some way to avoid it, all of it, I would have taken it."

Barton grimaced. "I'm not going to say it's okay, because it isn't. But…if that's an apology, I'll accept it."

"It is."

"Okay." Barton held out a hand. Thor could almost swear that his brother looked relieved as he took it and grasped it firmly in the mortal manner before moving on to Agent…Miss Romanov.

"Take care of yourself, Loki. I'm sure Kara already asked you to promise that, but I think you need the reminder," she said in a clipped voice.

"Thank you. You have become her friend, have you not?" Loki asked.

She shrugged. "Yes. Pepper and I, we're too different to be friends on our own, but throw Kara into the mix and it all works. We'll take care of her, too."

"Good. She will need her friends. Perhaps you could go to her? She was rather…" he trailed off with a sigh.

"As soon as Pepper gets back, we'll both go."

"Thank you." Loki moved on to where Dr. Banner awaited him. Thor frowned, this should be interesting. "Dr. Banner. I am glad that I had the chance to spend time with you that did not entail the destruction of Stark's floor."

Banner laughed. "Yes, me too. Seriously, Loki. We'll miss you. There won't be anyone with a good comeback for Tony once you're gone and we'll be forced to deal with his snark first hand."

"If all else fails, ignore him. That will trouble him more than any comeback," Loki said with a grin. "You seem so much more comfortable with yourself, it is good to see."

"And that is why I put up with Tony. That's his doing, believe it or not."

"Hmm, I can believe many things of him." Loki turned to the billionaire. "So, Anthony, are you taking on sponsorship of the Avengers?"

He shrugged. "Someone has to. I don't suppose you could manage to call me Tony? Anthony reminds me too much of stilted family dinners, the worst kind of hell when I was growing up."

Loki chuckled. "Very well, Tony. I suppose I can indulge you in thanks for your generous hospitality." His expression became somber. "Look after your honorary sister, Tony. I do not believe S.H.I.E.L.D. will release her without a struggle."

"They give me any shit over her, and I'll see them on the face of every newspaper and internet site on the planet. I've got the evidence and I'm sure as hell not above using it."

"Good. I hope you will not need to do so. Oh, and do not be late for your wedding. If you leave Pepper at the altar, I'll ask Thor to trounce you for your stupidity."

Stark laughed outright. "He won't need to. Pepper is fully capable of trouncing me all on her own."

"Oh, Tony, what did you do now?" Pepper asked as she dashed back into the room, carrying a long black cylindrical object.

"Nothing, yet. I'm just being warned to behave myself for you."

"Hah. That will be the day." She turned to his brother. "Here, Loki. We'll roll the drawing up and put it in this. It has a metal center and has an acid-free lining. It's also waterproof, so that should keep it safe." She pulled the top off of the canister as she spoke, and traded it to Loki for the drawing. After carefully rolling it, she slid it inside and replaced the lid. "There you go, it's all set."

"Thank you."

… …

"Brother, are you ready? We must go," Thor said quietly, as he pulled the device Eric Selvig had fashioned to make the cube into a method of transportation from its case.

"Yes." Loki followed him out onto Stark's launch area to where Hogun and Fandral awaited them.

"Armor up, my brother, there is trouble in Asgard, and we  
must be prepared," Thor told him as he stopped well short of his friends to put his winged helm on his head.

Loki frowned as his dress helm and the heavier part of his armor shimmered into place on his body. "Trouble? Why would the tribunal be trouble for anyone but me?" he asked.

Thor looked at him in surprise, then groaned. "Ah, I'd forgotten. Walking in on you distracted me. I do not come to take you to the tribunal. That is still on hold. Someone has brought an artifact into Asgard that can be used with the gauntlet, the casket, or this cube to make a gate. We have been unable to locate it, and our father believes that your magic might be able to track it down more precisely than his."

"Your father," Loki grated.

Sighing, Thor shook his head and spoke, quietly for him. "I am displeased with his long deception, Loki. But he did raise us, so he is as much our father as we are brothers. And if you deny that again, I shall be sorely put out with you."

"I-I will not deny you, brother. I cannot. And I must presume on your love for me to ask you a favor…to beg it if I must."

"Ask, my brother. If I can in all honor grant it, I will. You know that."

He nodded. "Kara has suffered serious damage to her nervous system from the technology they used to try and contain me. She has been unable to heal it and the mortal scientists have no idea how it might be treated. I-I feel responsible, and wish you to ask a personal boon of Odin to have her healed in Asgard. She will die without it," he finished.

Thor stared at him, plainly shocked. "Loki, that-I am sorry. Certainly I will ask father for this. Is this…how much…gods, I don't know how to ask," he grumbled, still keeping his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"She has several months before the damage will incapacitate her, but it does worsen every day. So far, it manifests only in blinding headaches, with some slight bleeding from her nose and ears. Eventually it will steal her ability to move, to reason, to do…anything before it kills her."

"Damnation, that is horrifying. I will ask as soon as I can gain a private audience. It may be a few days, all of Asgard is in an uproar over the threat of attack."

"I understand."

"Do you, brother? If you can find this artifact and avert a battle…" he trailed off.

Loki smiled. "Yes, I did understand that. I hope that will be the case, but if they are using power from their artifact to hide them, even I might find it too impossible a task. But yet, I now have hope. Thank you, brother. I swear to you that I will do my utmost."

Thor grinned at him and held out the handle of the device. "Hogun, Fandral, attend us. We leave now." He lowered his voice and leaned in close. "I have faith in you Loki. Now you must have faith in yourself."


	24. Chapter 24

Kara didn't answer their knock. Natasha tried the door, it was unlocked. She hesitated before pushing it open, glancing at Pepper. The strawberry blonde nodded her agreement. They were not going to wait for an invitation. As the door swung open they could see Kara sitting in the middle of the floor wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, her hair disheveled. The woman was staring at the small overfilled bookcase and the stack of books that sat beside it. "Please get the books out of here," she told them in a breathy monotone.

Nat frowned at the lack of life in the seated woman's voice. She crouched down beside her and took Kara's chin in her hand and tried to look into her eyes. Tried being the operative word. Kara seemed to be seeing absolutely nothing. This wasn't good. "Pepper, go ask the guys to get the bookshelf and books out of here, now," she said without looking away from Kara. "Look at me." Nat did not like the feel of the energy Kara was exuding. She was no empath, but she had instincts and those instincts were screaming danger at her.

Pepper dashed out of the room without bothering to ask Jarvis to summon the men. Good. Kara focused slightly and spoke again, her voice still dull. "Go away, Natasha," she said.

"No. I need you to talk to me. I know it hurts and I know I can't possibly understand the pain you're feeling, but you need to talk about it." The woman's eyes lost focus again. "Damn it, Kara, I'm talking to you, don't shut me out." The blank stare was fully back. "_krovavyĭ ad_" she muttered. Pepper came back into the room followed by Steve, Clint and Bruce. "That was fast. Get that stuff out of here, stat."

"Kara, honey, talk to us, please," Pepper asked, dropping down on Kara's other side. Kara's expression didn't change, but she did shake her head in response. "Don't tell me no," Pepper said in a scolding tone. "You make everyone else talk when they're upset, you don't get to give us the silent treatment."

"There's nothing to talk about," she whispered.

"Sure there is. Tell us how mad you are…or how sad. Whatever you're feeling, let it out," Pepper said.

"Empty."

Nat didn't like the sound of that. She knew from personal experience that a feeling of emptiness left one, well, destructive. Clint stopped, holding a stack of books, and caught her eye. The quiet comment had unnerved him, too. 'Call Raj Nassar?' he mouthed. She shook her head. This was way beyond anything Dr. Nassar could handle. Besides which, with their pending resignations, they did not want any of this going in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records. Especially if Kara lost control and really let loose.

"Honey, you're going to be okay," Pepper soothed as Natasha winced. There was no way in hell that Kara was going to be okay anytime soon.

Kara's laugh was bitter. "How, Pepper? How am I going to be okay? I've lost the only man I've ever loved…not that he's really a man…" she trailed off with a sob. But at least she was talking and emotion had entered her voice. That might pierce the emptiness and bring some reason back to her. "I'm so stupid," she muttered. "Pitifully stupid."

"You are not stupid," Nat insisted.

"No? Really?" this time Kara's laugh had an almost hysterical edge. "Nat, I fell in love with a god. And not just any god, oh no. I fell in love with one that tried to take over the planet and only failed because he planned to fail and fail spectacularly. One who thinks mortals are beneath him…one who could never truly let himself love me." She fell silent again, tears running down her cheeks.

"Kara, he does love you, we could all see that," Pepper insisted. "He wasn't worried about what he'd face in Asgard, he was worried about you."

"It doesn't matter, Pepper," Kara whispered. "What good does that do me?"

"When he gets things sorted out, I'm sure he'll come back for you." Nat had to fight not to roll her eyes at that statement. Pepper was trying, but that…

"How?" Kara snapped. "Fine, let's say you're right, he loves me. Odin is going to sentence him for his crimes and Loki refuses to defend himself, so that sentence will be harsh. Loki believes that he'll either be exiled to Jotunheim, where he's certain he'll be killed by their people because of what he did there, or he'll be locked in a dungeon in Asgard for hundreds of years. He'll either be dead, or once he serves his sentence and is freed, I'll have been dust for centuries." Her voice cracked. "No matter what is decided, I'll never see his smile again, I'll never hear his voice again, feel his touch again. He's gone, Pepper, and I can't get him back no matter what."

Oh, damn. Nat hadn't thought about what kind of sentence Odin might think appropriate for the man he'd raised as his son. That…no wonder Kara was losing it. She swallowed. "You're right," she said, as Kara cried and Pepper sat there, stunned. "He is gone, and it's highly unlikely you'll ever get him back. I'm sorry." Nat kept her own voice as even as possible. "You can curl up in a ball and die, breaking your promises not just to him, but to all of us, or you can learn to deal with it and go on. Your choice." She grabbed Pepper's arm and pulled her to her feet and pushed her towards the door. "If you decide to honor your word, let us know and we'll be there for you, every step of the way." She turned and strode briskly from the room, dragging an open-mouthed Pepper with her.

… …

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Pepper said as they reached the hall and the door closed behind them.

Tony stared at the two women as he came down the hall. "What's happening?" he asked. He'd seen Cap, Hawkeye and Bruce carrying his books back to his suite as he'd returned from the conference call that had claimed his attention immediately after Loki's departure. Natasha and Pepper both looked extremely worried. That expression wasn't strange on his fiancé, but on the Black Widow…that was totally unnerving him.

"I think Kara is going to have a meltdown," Natasha said. The heavy thump of containment panels sliding into place punctuated her statement. "Scratch that. Kara is having a meltdown, but at least she's being careful about it."

"Oh, that's so not good," he muttered. "Jarvis, what's going on in there?" he asked the AI.

"Lady Kara has requested a complete lockdown," Jarvis informed them.

Tony blinked. "Lady Kara?"

"You can't let her do that, Stark," Hawkeye said as he came up behind them. "That containment field is going to…"

"No, it's not. We dismantled that part of the system," Tony told him. "The only thing it's got now is a physical containment. The ultimate in fireproofing, as it were. Jarvis, open the door."

"Lady Kara has ordered she is not to be disturbed until further notice, Anthony."

Anthony? Lady Kara? "Oh, shit."

"What the heck?" Cap said as he returned.

"That son of a bitch. I'll kill him." Tony stared at the sealed door. "Jarvis, override Lady Kara's orders and reverse the lockdown, my voice authorization."

"Lady Kara's orders cannot be overridden, Anthony. She has the final override on all systems."

"Anthony?" Bruce asked. "Oh…oh crap."

"Yeah. Looks like the god of mischief left me a final prank. Jarvis, can you stop calling me Anthony, that's damn creepy."

"Only if that part of the protocol is overridden, Anthony."

"Great. Can, uh, Lady Kara override it?"

"Yes, Anthony."

"Anybody else?"

"Yes, Anthony, Lady Pepper can also override that part of the protocol."

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Nat, I swear, if you laugh I'm going to suit up and toss you off of the nearest balcony," he said as he noticed the Black Widow's expression.

"Glad you realize you'd need to suit up to do it," she said, still looking distinctly mirthful.

"Genius, remember? Pepper, could you do something about this?" he asked.

"Sure, Tony. Jarvis, from this moment forward, please address Anthony Edward Stark as either Mr. Stark or Sir as per your pre-protocol instructions."

"Yes, Lady Pepper."

"Thank you, Jarvis." She smirked and he could hear Nat snort softly from behind him. He decided to ignore it, at least the damned assassin wasn't laughing outright.

He sighed. "Jarvis, does Kara know about this protocol?"

"No sir, she has yet to read the email sent when the protocol was initiated."

"Can Pepper override the lockdown?"

"No sir. Lady Kara's authorization is final."

"You can suit up and take out the door," Rogers pointed out.

"I would advise against that, Captain Rogers," Jarvis told them.

"How come?"

"The resulting backdraft would incinerate everyone in the hallway and compromise the tower's structural integrity."

"Back…oh, shit. Jarvis, get me a visual," Tony snapped out.

"The camera apertures are covered by the lockdown walls, Mr. Stark."

"Fine, get me an audio." He took an involuntary step back as a piercing cry filled the hallway. "Oh, Christ." An ominous whooshing sound flowed as a backdrop to the haunting scream.

"_Bozhe moy_," Natasha muttered.

"Oh sweet Jesus," Cap muttered, "poor Dr. G…what's that other noise?"

"A raging fire," Tony told all of the stunned faces that had turned to him, looking for an answer.

… …

Loki took a half step as the cube's wormhole deposited them somewhat off-balance on the Bifröst and looked around. Repairs were well underway, but seemed to be abandoned. "Welcome home, sons of Odin, Fandral, Hogun," Heimdall said. Loki turned to look at the gatekeeper. If Heimdall was still calling him an Odinson, there _was_ still hope.

"Thank you, Heimdall," Thor said. "Have there been any changes?"

"No, my prince." Heimdall looked past Thor to him. "Prince Loki, a word, if you would."

His eyebrows rose. "Of course, Heimdall."

"This healer, Kara Gunnarssen. Does she pose a threat to the All-Father?"

He suppressed a groan. "Absolutely not. She spoke out of anger and frustration, a mortal cannot pose a threat to our King."

Loki tried not to flinch under the all-seeing gatekeeper's heavy stare. "She is a mortal of great power, are you certain of this?"

He decided that a slighty edited version of the truth would serve him, and Kara, best. "I do not know the full extent of her abilities, to be honest. However, she is a woman of compassion, with a fine sense of justice. Were the All-Father to attack her or anyone under her protection I have no doubt she would do her best to return harm for harm. But if he makes no such attack, nor would she."

"Loki speaks truly," Hogun agreed.

"Indeed," Fandral added. "The lady is strong and courageous, but she is not one to bring harm to another unnecessarily or thoughtlessly. She shows the greatest of restraint, even when provoked." Loki bit back a smirk as Fandral shot Hogun a pointed look. Apparently Fandral realized that Hogun's blatant shunning of him could have had a very different reaction from his lady.

"Very well," Heimdall rumbled as he turned his attention back to infinity.

"Come, we must hurry to the Valhöll," Thor said, urging them along to where Volstagg and Sif stood, each holding the reins of three horses. "I'm certain that father is awaiting us impatiently. Thor strode ahead of them, took the reins of two horses from Sif and turned back to him. "Mount up, my brother, let us ride."

Based on the glare Sif gave him, it was probably best that Thor had collected his horse from her. Loki patted the beast carefully and surreptitiously checked the saddle. Out of all of them, Sif had the most right to hold a grudge against him. She had never forgiven him for the prank gone wrong that had cost her the golden hair that had been the envy of the Realm Eternal. His latest actions had no doubt brought her long buried resentment of him back to the surface. "Thank you, brother," he said quietly and tried not to sigh at Thor's glad smile.

… …

After being advised by Jarvis that the fire had extinguished itself but that they could not open the door without fear of reigniting it for at least an hour, Tony went back to his workshop to look at the programming schematics. He could see where the alterations had been done, but couldn't find any way to get around it without disengaging the entire central processor and rebuilding it and reprogramming it from scratch. If he was lucky, Loki had given Kara authorization to revoke what Tony had found was called 'the Hellbringer Protocol'. "Damn sneaky bastard," he muttered, then laughed as he caught the admiration in his tone. "Guess I can't blame him."

"Sir, I would suggest that you check your email," Jarvis told him. Thank God Pepper had been able to straighten that part out. If Jarvis had called him Anthony one more time he would have lost it. Tony pulled up the visual file of his email. If Loki had voice-enabled it, Jarvis would have automatically offered to give him an audio of the message.

He read through it quickly. The first part was a half-assed apology for, or more accurately an acknowledgement of the prank…though the only part about it that was an actual prank was the programming regarding his name…and the titles for all of them. If anyone else had queried Jarvis, they would have discovered themselves being accorded various more or less appropriate appellations. Cap, of course, would have been addressed formally as 'Captain Rogers', Hawkeye was now 'Master Archer', all of the women were 'Lady' and their first name, and Bruce…Tony plopped down in his chair chuckling. "Oh, damn. That's a good one."

"What's good?" the man in question asked.

"Heh. Ask Jarvis a question, go ahead, I dare you."

Bruce frowned at him and shrugged. "Okay. Jarvis, what time is it?"

"It is four minutes until noon, Master Disaster."

Tony snickered, then guffawed, trailing off to intermittent chuckles. "He got you good," he finally managed to tell Banner.

Bruce sighed. "Well, I did call him a puny god, so I suppose I deserved it."

"Yeah. Christ, Bruce. Am I sick, or what? I'm going to miss that S.O.B.; you know?"

"No, not at all. I know exactly how you feel." Bruce sighed again and sat down on the workbench. "Pepper just got off the phone with legal. It's going to be another two days before they've got all of the paperwork in order. I talked to Nat and Clint. They're pretty sure they can hold off Fury until then."

"Good. Hopefully Kara will be functional and able to hold it together long enough for a meet by then. We'll make them come here. I'm not putting any of us where S.H.I.E.L.D. has a chance of boxing us in. I don't want to start out our new relationship with them by having to fight our way out of their territory."

"Cap's thought exactly. Legal also had some advice as to structure. You as C.F.O./C.O.O. with Rogers as C.E.O.; that would cover him heading up the team for all combat decision making, but you pulling all of the financial strings and day to day administration."

"Considering it's my damn finances…" he trailed off. "Yeah, that's fine. S.H.I.E.L.D. will trust that more than with me holding all the authority." He stared at the email again. "He loved the hell out of her, Bruce."

Banner frowned. "He, who? Oh, Loki? Yeah, no kidding, I think we could all see that."

"This whole 'Hellbringer Protocol' that he programmed into Jarvis is based on protecting her…even from herself." Tony scrubbed a hand over eyes made gritty by concentrating on the complex code. "Well, except for the naming conventions. That was just Loki being a pain in the ass."

"I didn't think we'd left him alone long enough to do something like that. Well, not after he realized that Kara wasn't manipulating his feelings."

"It was all done in one afternoon from the date and time stamps. I checked, Kara had three patients in from S.H.I.E.L.D. and I was stuck in a board meeting, you were delivering a paper to the U.N., and the Wonder Twins were at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ giving a lecture on Asgard's view of history."

Bruce snorted softly, shaking his head. "One afternoon. Great. Well, if we ever get him back, we'll have to coordinate better…and if we all have to be busy, insist he accompanies one of us."

"No shit." Tony looked at his workshop clock. "It's been an hour. We'd better go check on Kara."

"Yeah, about that." Bruce gave him that lopsided smile that meant he was going to say something Tony knew he wouldn't like. "We all think that you need to go in and talk to her first."

"Gee, thanks."

… …

"Jane? Dr. Selvig? You wanna come look at this? I think it's starting again!" Darcy Lewis yelled at them from across the cavernous room.

Eric stood and stretched. "That's Dr. Foster, now, Darcy," he chided. "She hasn't had her degree long enough to stop teasing her about it yet."

The impertinent young woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah. Excuuuuuuse me, _Doctor_ Foster for a whole week and a half. Your potential wormhole sites are pinging again."

He sighed at Darcy's theatrics. She was a good-hearted girl, but she had quite a mouth on her. He smiled. Darcy did keep their otherwise dry bouts of intense research entertaining. "Please, Eric. Don't encourage her," Jane said as she looked over the equipment. "Did you do a site by site comparison, Darcy?" she asked, focusing her own attention on what Loki had described as the potential problems, the sites in Galisteo, New Mexico and Sedona, Arizona. The instruments were showing activity in Galisteo, but none in Sedona. "Yes! Iron Man saves the day," she told them. "We're getting no readings whatsoever out of Sedona." He looked over Jane's shoulder as she frowned at another ping located in the United States. "What the hell, this wasn't there before."

"Colorado Springs," Eric mused. "What could be in Colorado Springs?"

"Besides snow in the winter?" Darcy asked facetiously. "Well, NORAD."

He stared at Jane who gave him a horrified look in return. "Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. moved the scepter to NORAD for safekeeping?" he suggested.

"If they did, it was a mistake. Loki told them it had to stay at least a thousand kilometers from any of the non-moveable sites."

"Well, my dear, I doubt S.H.I.E.L.D. has much faith in anything that…_gentleman _might tell them."

"How about you?" Jane asked quietly.

Eric considered the question seriously. "If I thought he had reason to dissemble, then I would doubt his word. But this is a danger to him as well. And we had Kara Gunnarssen present when he made the statement. I have met the lady, she would know if he were so much as stretching the truth."

Darcy walked over, holding Jane's cell phone. "They're punching you through to that dipsh…" she broke off and turned her attention back to the phone with a wince. "Good afternoon, Director. I have Dr. Fosterfor you, we, uh, have an urgent concern?" The girl handed the phone to Jane, biting her lip to hold back a laugh.

"Nick, did your people move the scepter to NORAD?" Jane asked, getting right to the point. She rolled her eyes. "Well, sure, it's secure, but it's also about five-hundred kilometers from Galisteo and that scepter needs to be at least a thousand kilometers from any of the stationary sites and it just got pinged. Yes, that would be important. Uh huh. Well, get it moved _now_." Jane rubbed her forehead with one hand. "Yes, thank you. When we finish our analysis here, I'll get back to you."

"We'll have to confirm all of the sites within a thousand kilometers that have ocean or seas between them have been pinged again. If so, they'll need to be watched for more activity. While Loki doesn't think they could come through there, I would not want to take the chance that he's wrong."

"Oh, _hell _to the no," Darcy muttered.

… …

Tony knocked on the door to Kara's suite. From the sound it made, she had disengaged the lockdown. He waited a minute and heard the lock click. "Lady Kara advises that you may enter, sir," Jarvis told him.

"Thanks, J." He pushed open the door. Kara was sitting on the vanity bench from her bathroom, staring out the window. The rest of the bedroom was all but bare. The wrought iron furniture no longer resembled furniture and the bedding and other flammable items were simply…gone. He looked down at the granite floor. It showed signs of charring and a fine black ash covered it, except for a roughly circular area where Kara had been sitting. Her footprints trailed from that spot to the bathroom and then back to the window. "So, I guess we might as well get you regular furniture."

She sighed. "Yeah. It didn't make any difference."

"Don't sweat it. Pepper and Natasha can take you furniture shopping, or we can get a designer in, whatever you want."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, actually, it does. This is your home, Kara. I want you to be comfortable here."

"Tony, they're not going to let me stay here once they know Loki's gone. The only reason they let me stay this long was because they were afraid of what he'd do without me to distract him."

"Funny thing about that. Loki had a free afternoon the other day, he put it to good use. We've got enough material to blackmail S.H.I.E.L.D. into doing whatever the hell we want. Good thing for them that we're heroes and all."

"What about Clint and Nat?" she asked. "Or Steve, for that matter?"

"Kid, we're all resigning any and all relationships we've had with S.H.I.E.L.D., we're going to incorporate 'The Avengers' as an independent entity. We'll still save the world and handle emergencies and such gratis, but for everything else, they're going to have to hire us under contract. That includes you seeing their people for PTSD treatment, they're going to have to pay you a premium hourly rate."

"Um, we're still going to be operating at a loss, you know."

Tony laughed. "Well, I'll fund the start up costs as a charitable contribution and write it off. Then Bruce and I can patent and sell some of the defensive tech we've come up with, that should keep us in the black for the foreseeable future." He frowned. Kara was still staring out the window. "What are you watching?"

"Construction cranes. It's still going to be months before all of the damage from the invasion is fixed."

"True. But somehow I get the feeling that it would have been a lot worse if it had gone down any other way." She finally turned away from the window. Except for her ash-smeared feet and a bit of ash that had drifted into her hair, you couldn't tell that she'd sat for a half-hour in the midst of an inferno. "One of these days you're going to have to explain to me how you do that," he muttered.

"Not burn?" she asked. He nodded. "If I ever figure it out, I'll let you know."

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"No. Tony, I promised I'd try to find happiness again, but I really can't see how that will ever be possible," she told him as tears filled her hazel eyes.

"I know. Geez, Kara…if I ever lost Pepper it would trash me. Just thinking about it, the hole that would be left in me, it-I can't even contemplate it. I'm not going to tell you anything clichéd, no 'time heals all wounds' crap, anything like that. I don't know if this is something I'd ever recover from. What I can tell you is that we love you. You're important, in different ways, to all of us. And we'd really like you to stick with us and try to go on. I know it's going to be hard as hell, but in many ways you're stronger than the rest of us put together. I think you can do it." He gritted his teeth in frustration as the threatened tears began to pour down her cheeks.

Kara stood and wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his neck. "Thanks, Tony," she mumbled. "I love you guys too."

… …

**Author's Notes:** "_krovavyĭ ad" _means_ "bloody hell" _and "_Bozhe moy_," means "_Oh my God_" in Russian. Again, thank you for all of the kind reviews and PMs, it really motivates me to write! Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note:** Wow! One hundred reviews and counting, thank you all so very much! When I first discussed the last chapter with my beta buddies, it was agreed that Steve HAD to walk in on them. And be embarrassed. I'm glad it went over so well. Yes, there is hope for Loki, not much, but for a man who had no hope whatsoever, it's a miracle. I live for your comments!

… …

Kara stopped short as she entered her redecorated suite. A mahogany four poster king-sized bed with a golden canopy and gold and burgundy bed coverings rested against the far wall under the area that previously housed the embedded wall clock. A reading area with a soft chair and a bookcase that matched the bed and night tables sat near the entrance to her bathroom. The Persian rug was mainly burgundy, with gold, blue and green in the intricate design. A new mahogany breakfast table with a burgundy tablecloth and matching chairs sat under the window. She sighed. It was totally different from her previous predominately green and wrought iron decor and it helped, but being here alone was still going to hurt. "God, Loki, I miss you so damn much," she whispered.

Pulling herself together, she strode into the walk-in closet and hung up her latest purchase, a gold and burgundy evening gown for Tony and Pepper's engagement ball. She snorted. Yeah, an actual ball. It hadn't been Tony's ideal for his engagement celebration, or Pepper's, but Stark Industries Board of Directors had insisted. It was also going to be a charitable fundraiser. Half of the proceeds from the fifteen hundred dollar per person tickets was going to the NYC Small Business Relief Fund, and the other half would be used to fund 'Avengers, Inc.', which would be headquartered here in what would soon be known as 'Avengers' Tower'. The event had just been announced this morning and tickets were well on their way to selling out. "Lady Kara, Mr. Stark asked that I remind you that Director Fury should arrive in fifteen minutes."

Gah, now that was something she was not looking forward to. "Thank you, Jarvis. Please call me Dr. Gunnarssen or Kara." She'd had this conversation with the AI several times, but the system kept reverting to the form of address programmed by Loki after using her preferred name for a few hours. Tony had found a loop in the programming that reset it, but had not been able to find a way around it. It kept the pain fresh…hmm. "Jarvis, when you call me Lady Kara, it makes me sad all over again. This form of address is seriously hindering my recovery."

"My apologies, Dr. Gunnarssen, it won't happen again," Jarvis replied. "Shall I advise Mr. Stark that you will be joining them in the observation lounge shortly?"

"Yes, thank you." She pulled a pair of black slacks from their hanger and draped them over her arm as she mulled over a choice of tops, finally settling on a cream colored cable knit sweater with gold metallic thread accents. Taking the selected items into the bathroom, she changed and then brushed her hair up into a casual bun.

"Almost ready?" Nat asked as she poked her head in the open bathroom door. Kara looked up in the mirror and nodded. "Let me get some concealer under your eyes, okay?"

"Sure." Kara sat and faced the other redhead. "Not that it matters."

"Actually, it does. They don't need to know how little you're sleeping. As far as they're concerned, you're absolutely fine."

"Nat, Raj is an empath, he'll know I'm not fine." She sighed as Natasha grimaced. "I can project being pissed with S.H.I.E.L.D. to cover it, though."

"Good. Have you decided whether we're exaggerating your physical condition?"

"Yes. It will keep the council off of our backs until we find out if Thor is able to get help for me or not." She bit back another sigh. "After I kind of challenged Odin, I seriously doubt he's going to agree to it."

The Black Widow shrugged. "He may respect your courage. Look, I'm sure Thor will find a way to make him agree. If nothing else, he can get his mother on the job. Banner tells me that Loki admitted that Frigga loved him every bit as much as Thor."

"True. Hopefully that will be enough. The neurologists have even less of a clue than Bruce and I do, so I'm not going to get any help here." She peered back into the mirror as Nat stepped back. The dark circles were now hidden from the casual observer, and even when she looked closely, it was so skillfully done that she might have missed it if she hadn't known what to look for. "Thanks, Nat. That's much better."

"I am an expert and sleeplessness is a lot easier to cover than bruising from a fight."

… …

Steve frowned as Agent Hill stalked into the room behind Director Fury. There was just something about the woman that didn't sit right. She was always too eager, always too stern, always too…something. And she seemed to hear everything. It was spooky. He nodded to Dr. Nassar who trailed behind the other two with his customary half-smile. He was okay, and he didn't think it was because the doctor was a shrink and knew how to make people trust him. "Good afternoon, Captain Rogers, how are you?" Nassar asked.

"Fine, sir, thank you," he replied politely.

Tony walked in, stopped, and then frowned. "Director, I didn't invite Agent Hill to this meeting, she'll need to wait with your ride," he told Fury.

Fury's visible eyebrow rose. "Agent Hill is my deputy, I asked her to be here."

"And I'm asking her to not be here. She doesn't have enough clearance."

Hill frowned and Steve bit his lip to hide a grin. "My clearance is equal to that of Director Fury," she snapped.

He snuck a glance at Tony, the self-described genius was smirking. "Honey, that's for S.H.I.E.L.D.; in case you didn't notice, this isn't S.H.I.E.L.D., get the hell out."

She turned to Fury, her jaw working in anger. "Go wait in the Quinjet, Hill. I'll fill you in later on anything you might need to know," Fury told her.

"Yes, sir." The woman turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, giving Dr. G and Nat a venomous glare as they passed her on their way in.

Nat looked at him and winked. "So sorry to see her go, aren't you, Steve?"

"Um, not really," he muttered and then frowned as Nat rolled her eyes. "Oh, uh, yes, absolutely." He frowned as he felt his cheeks heat. He just wasn't any good at this sarcasm stuff. He felt marginally better when Dr. G stepped in close and squeezed his bicep reassuringly. She looked pretty good considering how hard the past two days had been for her, he thought.

"Sorry I'm late," Dr. Banner said as he rushed in. "I had to get that comparison running."

"No prob, bud," Tony told him. "Can someone go pull the Hawk out of his nest?" he asked. Nat nodded and went out the door that led to Stark's launch area. "Thanks, Nat." They all settled down to wait for the assassins to return.

… …

Raj Nassar thought it very interesting that Stark had banished Agent Hill from the meeting. He and Nick Fury had been speculating as to the man's reason for calling them here, and they had a bet riding on the outcome. Kara Gunnarssen looked distracted…and terribly unhappy, he realized suddenly. Reaching out with his admittedly minor gift, he tried to read her mood only to have her flash him an annoyed look. A rock solid barrier slammed down between them. "Okay," he heard Tony Stark say and he turned to look back at the billionaire. "We're all here, time to get this meeting started. Cap, you're up."

Steve Rogers stepped away from the edge of the bar he'd been leaning against and Picked up a stack of papers. He marched, there really was no other word for it, over to Nick and handed the stack to the startled man. "Sir," he began. "These are official resignations and terminations of contract signed by each member of this team and witnessed by a notary. I think you'll find them all in order."

Nick stared down at the papers with his one eye and then back up at the solemn soldier. "I refuse to accept them," he said calmly.

"I'm afraid we're not offering you a choice, sir," Rogers told him, his voice firming. "You will accept these resignations and terminations of contract, or they will be released publicly and simultaneously, all over the globe."

"Let me rephrase that, captain," Fury said. "I am not authorized by the council to accept them. I can assure you that the council will not release any S.H.I.E.L.D. assets at this time."

Rogers frowned fiercely. Raj could feel righteous anger emanating from him. "None of the people in this room are merely _assets_, sir. They are people, and they have the right to work for whomever they want, and that does not include your organization." The man's shoulders squared even more impressively than usual and his posture shouted aggression. "We are not giving your council a choice. Don't make us play hardball."

Raj bit the inside of his cheek as Fury laughed. "Are we all grown up now, Captain Rogers?" he asked. "Just yesterday you were a naïve soldier, trapped out of his own time. Have you really come to terms with the twenty-first century so quickly?"

"Choosing to believe the best of people and organizations until they prove unworthy of it may be idealistic, Director Fury, but it's not naïve. S.H.I.E.L.D. has used and abused every member of this team and it stops now."

"Really, Steve?" Nick said, changing to a fatherly tone. "What do you think you can do about it?"

Stark stood up. "I'll take that question, boss, if you don't mind?" he said to Rogers.

"Sure, go ahead."

"You see, Nick, Loki left us a _really_ nice parting gift," Stark began.

"Parting…" Raj found himself asking.

"Oh, yeah, did we forget to tell you? Thor stopped by for his little brother and his friends a few days ago. They all went back home. So, in thanks for hosting them so kindly, Loki left us a present. Did you notice, by the way, that your hacker made a return visit about four days ago? No? Guess he didn't want you to know. Well, we inadvertently left the Norse god of mischief alone for an afternoon and he got a bit bored. This time, instead of just leaving sarcastic comments, he pulled a lot of highly classified information from your systems and packaged it up for us, nice and neatly. Included in this gift were the names and locations and such for each and every one of your clandestine council members."

"You're bluffing," Fury stated firmly.

"Am I? Jarvis, start running the file." They waited while a screen descended and profile pages with detailed information began scrolling on it. Fury's complexion became ashen and it was obvious that he recognized the men and women being identified. "Your council is going to accept those resignations and such or they will be outted to every media outlet of every type world-wide. And no, it isn't blackmail because we're not asking for a payoff. We're insisting you accept legal resignations and terminations of contract."

"And what of the Avengers Initiative, Stark? Is that going away?" Fury half-growled.

Raj frowned as he saw a large object being dangled from a crane pass in front of the windows. The object swung slightly and as he realized what it was he began to smile. He nudged Nick and directed his attention to the window in time to see the large letter 'V' being grabbed by the hands of construction workers. "No, not at all," Stark told them. "It's simply undergoing a metamorphosis. As of today, this is Avengers' Tower, and 'The Avengers' team is a 501(c)(3) classified non-profit organization."

Nick pursed his lips and held out a hand to him, rubbing his fingers together. Raj chuckled and pulled out his wallet, plucked a twenty from the billfold, and slapped it into his old friend's waiting palm. "I should know better than to accept a wager from you by now," he said.

… …

"Yes, you should." Nick grinned at the startled faces of the Avengers. "I brought Agent Hill as a test, I didn't think you were foolish enough to let her stay."

"We trust her even less than we trust you," Stark told him.

"Good. I hope you know that you _can_ trust me, but there will be times that I cannot do the right thing, regardless of what I want to do. As with the damned nuke, sometimes the council goes behind my back. I took out one of the birds they sent, unfortunately, they scrambled two and I wasn't able to stop the second one."

Rogers whistled. "You sacrificed one of your own?"

"As soon as he obeyed orders other than mine, he ceased to be one of my own." Nick shrugged. "I was not going to sacrifice millions of people to save one man. I had faith in all of you and you needed time to succeed."

"What about me, Nick?" Kara Gunnarssen asked bitterly. "Was I a sacrifice?"

He sighed heavily. "I didn't have much choice there. I had to get you out of headquarters where council toadies might notice the full extent of your abilities, and I had to ensure Loki didn't get out of hand. Two birds, one stone. I realize I put you in a difficult position, but…"

The woman shot to her feet. "A difficult position? You son of a bitch. You trashed me. I was fine. I had my research, I was helping people, lots of people. I saved lives, I saved property, then you blackmailed me into joining S.H.I.E.L.D.. Now, thanks to you, I have a broken heart and a broken body. How the hell do you sleep at night?"

"Kara," Raj Nassar interjected. "Let's talk about this."

"It's so far beyond talking, Raj, that it's not even funny. Didn't you get the report from your neurology specialists? I'm dying. I've got four to six weeks before I won't be able to function normally, maybe twice that before I'm a total vegetable. I'll be dead inside of a year. And there's not one damn thing any of you can do about it. I won't need help to _get over_ Loki. I'll be dead and beyond caring before any therapy could possibly make a difference."

Nick swallowed. He had read the reports and he'd forwarded them on to the council. It was the one thing that might allow all of this to work…the council's belief that the Avengers' potentially deadliest weapon was going to be neutralized. "I sleep at night only because I'm exhausted from walking a damn tightrope every minute of every single day, doctor." He hated this, all of it, but if he didn't do this job, S.H.I.E.L.D. would end up becoming a private army for certain radical members of the council instead of a force for good. He frowned, considering. "Does Thor know about your condition?" he asked.

"Yes, but there's nothing he can do. Unfortunately I kind of burned my bridges there," she muttered, flushing.

His eyebrow shot up. "Did Asgard not want Loki saved?" he asked.

"That wasn't it. I, um, once I got the whole story and figured out what Loki's issues were, I, um…kind of challenged Odin and said I would take him down. Apparently their gatekeeper, an all-seeing and all-hearing god named Heimdall heard me and reported it to Odin."

Christ, Nick thought. There goes that avenue of hope. "And he's holding a grudge. Damn. I am sorry, doctor."

She shrugged. "Sorry doesn't do me any good. I just hope you'll learn something from this and leave well enough alone in the future. Oh, and you'd better support this," she said, her hands spreading to include her teammates. "Otherwise, keep in mind that I don't have one damn thing to lose now, and I do know where everyone holes up and thinks they're safe."

… …

Bruce allowed himself a small grin as the Quinjet took off. "That went well," he said."

"Yeah. You and Kara guessed right about Fury and Nassar. And Cap was right about Hill," Tony said, reaching for the bottle of scotch. His friend looked at the bottle in his hand for a minute and then put it back down, unopened. "Huh. Habit, I guess," he muttered. "I don't need that."

"No, you don't. Come on, let's hit the kitchen and I'll make a fresh pot of coffee."

"Cool beans. Well, hot beans, I guess," Tony snickered as they walked to the shared kitchen. "How come your coffee tastes better than anyone else's?"

"Since I don't drink the stuff, I actually follow directions."

Tony snorted. "Following directions is going to get your man card revoked, big guy."

"Nope. That's asking for directions. Totally different rule."

"Could be." The billionaire hitched himself up onto one of the stools and idly played with the salt shaker. "So, Kara is being totally close-mouthed about her condition. How much was she exaggerating?"

Sighing, Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "She halved the first part of the estimates. Kara has two, maybe three months before she's going to be in a wheelchair. She'll go downhill rapidly from there, but we don't know quite how fast it will happen. Her year on the outside was probably on target."

"Jesus. Thunderball better put the hammer down on his dad pretty damn quick. Do you think Foster is making any progress on us opening a wormhole of our own?"

"Not that she's said. Oh, Selvig called. Their contracts run out in two months. They'll refuse to renew them, so we've got two months to get all of the equipment they need set up here in the tower."

"Pepper already has the list and has procurement working on it. Shit, I was hoping that if all else failed we could go to Asgard ourselves and lean on Thor's old man. Jarvis? What is the status of Dr. Foster and Dr. Selvig's procurement order?"

"Twenty-five percent complete, Anthony," the AI replied. Bruce laughed helplessly as Tony paled.

"Oh, shit, what the hell?" he moaned.

"You used a snarky nickname for Thor, it must have reset the programming on how you're addressed."

"That sneaky son of a bitch."

"Yeah, he is that. I love it."

… …

Natasha watched Hawkeye work through the gymnastics equipment they both used for exercise. His compactly muscled body whipped through the twists and turns of the obstacle course they'd created with the different types of bars, ropes, walls, and such with practiced ease. It truly was breathtaking. She checked the timer function that had replaced the current time on the digital display in the far wall. Clint was going to beat her record if he kept to this pace. Frowning, she wondered if it was because something was troubling him or if he'd gotten his confidence back. He came off of the final piece of equipment with a triumphant yell. Oh yeah, the Hawk was back. "Two full seconds under my record," she told him as he straightened.

"No shit?" Clint looked over at the display that was now blinking with his final time. "Hot damn. Uh, I was just in the groove for a change," he said, trying to downplay his accomplishment.

"You did great," she told him. "Jarvis, note Hawkeye's time in the record, please."

"Yes, A…M…I apologize, but you are no longer Agent Romanov, which form of address would you prefer?"

Hah. Anything other than 'Lady Natasha' would be fine, she thought. "Natasha will do, Jarvis. Thank you for inquiring."

"You are most welcome, Natasha. Master Archer's time has been updated."

Clint grinned. He was getting a kick out of Loki's joke, so Kara and Pepper had let that one be. "You don't know what a load off of my mind being out of S.H.I.E.L.D. is," he told her. She raised her left eyebrow and gave him a eloquent stare. "Uh, on second thought, you're probably the only one who _does_ know."

She let the corners of her mouth curve up into a sultry smile…an honestly sultry smile for a change. "We're finally free, and we're in the hero business instead of the assassin business," she agreed.

"We can pick and choose assignments, except when it comes to saving the world."

"And we have the number one technical genius on the entire planet ready and willing to make anything we need to do that world saving. It's…inspiring," she said, closing the distance between them.

"Nat, I'm sweaty as all hell," he grumbled as she ran a hand from his neck down to his waist.

"I know. A hard bodied man fresh from a workout is such a turn-on." Clint laughed quietly, as she knew he would. "Why don't we go up to your place so you can get some fresh clothes and then over to mine and christen that new Jacuzzi that was just installed?"

"You know what the best thing about being independent is?" he asked. Natasha smiled and shook her head. "If anyone notices, they'll just be cheering us on or teasing the hell out of us, not ratting us out."

"Yet another perk," she whispered as their lips met.

… …

"Wow, you're really talented," a woman said from behind him as Steve finished sketching in the last two missing letters on his drawing of the Avengers' Tower. He looked up as the waitress that had served him the last time he'd stopped here moved up beside his table. "What can I get you today?" she asked.

"Um, just coffee, I guess."

The pretty blonde smiled. "Not hungry? Our turkey sandwich is really great. We slow roast real turkey breasts and slice them thick, and the molasses oat bread it's served on is to die for. Oh, and our cook slices and deep fries Idaho potatoes for the best homemade potato chips ever," she enthused.

He just had to smile back, her expression was that infectious. "You know what, that does sound great."

"Wonderful. Oh, would you like a pickle with that? We brine our own kosher dills."

"Sure. Do you have malts?" he asked and braced for a negative.

"Yep, traditional malts, nice and thick. Should I get you one of those instead of the coffee, or do you want both?"

"Instead of, thanks." She nodded and dashed off between the tables and he went back to his scribbling.

"Hey, stud. Why don't ya ask the dame for her number this time?" an old man grumbled at him. He looked up. It was the same guy in the cap who'd called him a moron the last time he'd been here.

He grinned at the guy. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks."

The waitress returned with a glass of water. "Your malt will be ready in just a minute and I'll have your sandwich in about five, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine." She stood there, staring down at him with an odd expression. Before he could ask her what was wrong she crouched down next to him.

"You're him, I know it. I don't want to spoil your day out, but I wanted to say thank you," she whispered.

"Uh, him who? And for what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Captain America," she said, still whispering. I-I recognized you when you saved us during the battle. You, um, lost your mask and I guess I was kind of staring at you last time you were here, you have this really cut jaw and I, um, well remembered you. And your voice. I knew it was you."

He flushed. "Oh. Hmm. Thanks for being quiet about it," he said softly. "And you're welcome." He shrugged. "I was just doing my job."

"No, you did a great thing, and we all appreciate it." She stood. "I'm Beth Anderson. What's your name?" she asked in a normal tone.

"Steve," he told her. "Steve Rogers."

"It's very nice to meet you, Steve," she said, holding her hand out with a huge grin.

He had to grin back as he took it and squeezed it lightly. "Likewise."

"I'll go get your malt…be right back!"

"Moron, you still didn't get her number. What's with you kids these days?" the old man asked.

"I like to take things slow, sir," Steve told him. "It's polite and respectful."

"Boy, you're in the wrong decade for that."

He sighed. "Don't I know it." Beth came winding back through the tables, balancing a tray above the heads of the other patrons.

"Here we go," she said. "Your food was ready too. I brought you mayo and mustard and some Thousand Island since I forgot to ask which you wanted." She set the plate of food down in front of him and then the malt beside it before pulling a straw from her apron pocket. "Let me know if you need anything else," Beth told him as she pulled a ticket off of her pad and placed it just above his meal.

He picked it up and looked at it. There was no charge listed, just some zeros over a long number. "Uh, Beth?" he asked. "What is this?"

She came back and looked down to where he pointed at the three zeros written in the total charge box. Leaning in she whispered, "My boss said it's on the house. He was walking me to the subway that day, you saved us both."

"Oh, I couldn't…" he trailed off at her frown. "Um, thanks, that's really nice." He looked down at the ticket again. "What's this?" he asked, pointing at the long number underneath his order.

Beth rolled her eyes. "That's my cell number, silly. Call me if you want," she said as she sashayed off.

"Hot damn, son, you scored," the old man told him, cackling with laughter.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Steve put some mayo and after tasting it, some of the 'Thousand Island' on his sandwich, picked it up and took a bite. It was amazing. He swallowed the bite and crunched a few of the lightly salted chips and then took a bite of the pickle. "Things are looking up," he said as he lifted the glass holding his malt and saluted Avengers' Tower with it.

… …


	26. Chapter 26

Kara bit back a smirk as she watched Clint and Nat emerge from Nat's suite with damp hair. "Christening the Jacuzzi?" she asked lightly.

Clint actually flushed. Amazing. "Uh, hi, Doc," he said, ignoring her question.

She chuckled. "The next time you tease Steve about blushing over something, I'm going to remind you of this."

"I'm not blushing."

"Sure, you aren't."

Nat smiled. "It's just the heat from the Jacuzzi," she claimed facetiously, earning a glare from Clint for confirming Kara's guess.

Kara grinned as the elevator doors opened. "Going up?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, we are," she told him. "Come along, lovebirds."

"Kara, I'll let you get away with that crack once and only once," Nat hissed.

She laughed. "Okay, I'll stop. Come on, let's get some dinner."

The short ride to the dining room level was completed in silence. Kara stepped out of the elevator first so that her friends wouldn't see her still highly amused grin. She managed to school her features into a more somber expression before they entered the dining room. "Oh, great timing," Tony said as he came in from the observation lounge, carrying two bottles of wine. "We're having filet mignon, I've got a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Petite Sirah. And yes, Kara, I know you want Port, this is for those of us who drink dinner appropriate wines with dinner."

"Humph. The appropriate wine is one you enjoy drinking," she insisted and stuck her tongue out at him as he smirked. She looked at her already poured glass of wine and lifted it for a taste. A nice full-bodied Souza. Perfect. Tony made the rounds of the table, pouring the others' choices of wine. "Well, if the technological genius gig ever fails him, he could make it as a waiter," she said to Pepper.

"He did that for a while when he was rebelling against his dad."

"You're kidding me?" Kara chuckled at the thought. "How long did he last at it?"

Pepper chuckled. "Only about three weeks."

"Figures." She eyed Nat and Clint as they sat across from her, studiously avoiding looking in her direction. They'd even changed the seating around the table. She was now sitting between Pepper and Bruce. Steve was at the far end across from Tony, and Nat and Clint were alone on the other long side where she had previously sat with Loki. She sighed.

"Hon, try not to think about it," Nat told her.

"I do try. Unfortunately, I think I'll be failing at it for a long time to come," she responded before taking a deep drink of her Port.

"What?" Clint asked, then frowned as he realized what Nat was talking about. "Oh. Sorry." He frowned down at the table as his plate was set before him by Tony's chef. "Thank you," he said. "Look, Doc, I know you're hurting, but you've got to let it go. That blue-eyed freak isn't worth it."

"Oh, Clint, really?" Pepper scolded.

"What?" Kara muttered, and stared at the archer. "What did you say?"

"Sorry, but the man…god…whatever the hell he is, is a freak."

"No, Clint, what did you say about his eyes?"

"Um, they're blue? Kind of a freaky blue. Cold one minute, then all glowing hot the next. Maybe it had something to do with his magic."

"His eyes are green," she managed past the lump that shock was building in her throat.

"No, blue, I had to stare at those damn freaky eyes for days on end."

Pepper frowned. "I thought they were green too."

"They were a very bright blue in Stuttgart," Steve told them. "Kind of glowing, but I thought that was a reflection from that scepter. In the Quinjet, afterwards, they were a more normal icy blue."

"Perhaps they're hazel?" Bruce offered. "Blue or green depending on the lighting?"

Kara sighed. "Bruce, I was on intimate terms with the man for a week. I think I'd have noticed if his eyes changed color in different lighting."

… …

"Uh, guys," Tony began. "I'm kind of remembering blue from before, too. But they were definitely green these past few weeks."

"Do you think?" Natasha asked.

"One way to find out," he told her. "Jarvis, give me some images of Loki that clearly show his eyes. Let's go for same location, same lighting, both before the battle and once he returned here after he was taken from Asgard. What can you find for me?"

A screen lowered from the ceiling. Unlike the set up he had in the labs and his workroom, the living areas did not have interactive holographic displays. The equipment for it was still too intrusive. One of these days he'd find time to refine it enough that it could be used anywhere. An image appeared. It was Loki, standing in the observation lounge while Tony was 'threatening' him. You could feel the intensity of his very blue-eyed stare and that damned smirk. "Okay, that was before he got Hulked. Definitely blue. What else you got for us, J?"

"Formatting, sir." Another shot of Loki, standing almost in the same position, moved into place beside the first. Tony recognized this as well, it was a few days ago, after they'd said their goodbyes. This Loki was wearing a small sad and tired smile…and his eyes were most definitely green. A pure, no way to confuse it with hazel, green.

"Holy shit. That's one hell of a difference. It's about the same type of day, even. Look at the shadows in the room, almost identical in size and direction." He rubbed a hand over his goatee and stared.

"I have one more for you, sir."

"Lay it on us, J." They all watched silently as a third image slid into place. Thor was holding a very battered Loki upright after Bruce's alter ego had finished trashing his floor with the 'puny god'. Loki looked dazed, and his eyes... "Green, damn it to hell, you close-mouthed bastard."

"What happened?" Clint asked.

"Cognitive dissonance," Natasha told him. "The Hulk hit Loki in the head _really_ hard."

"So why the fuck didn't he say something?" Clint demanded.

Kara sighed. "Because he's a stupid, prideful idiot."

"Watch it," Tony said with a grin. "That's your lover boy you're calling an idiot."

She glared daggers at him. "He's a man, Tony. Prideful idiocy comes with the territory."

"Ouch. Okay, I guess I'll own up to that one." He shook his head. "But seriously, we all knew Master Archer over there wasn't to blame for what he did. Loki could have just told us this, we could have searched for the evidence, found it, and cleared his ass."

"I think…he was embarrassed. He's so proud of his power, his strength, his control. I think being controlled just, hell, with all of his other issues, it was probably the icing on the cake. He probably thinks that if he were full-blooded Æsir, it couldn't have happened. So he's probably blaming his Jötunn blood for what he sees as a weakness."

"Full-blooded what?" Bruce asked.

"Æsir," she replied. "That's what the primary race, the gods in Asgard are called. He didn't think it was worth correcting anyone. Hogun and Fandral weren't going to explain because you usually lumped Loki in with them when discussing Asgard. They were all citizens of Asgard so they're all Asgardian. But of the three, only Loki wasn't also a full-blood Æsir."

"Sorry, we missed the lecture. I was in a board meeting and Bruce was at the U.N.," Tony quipped.

"Yeah, and where did that get you, _Anthony_," Kara teased.

"It wasn't his fault," Clint muttered.

"No, Loki would be the first to say it's still his fault. He kept going back to that whenever I'd press him for an explanation. If nothing else, it's his fault he fell into the void and left himself open to this obscenity," Kara told them. "Though I think a large part of the fault in that is Odin's."

Tony frowned at Clint who was looking thoroughly deflated. "Hard to let go of the hate for what he did to you, huh?" he asked the man, trying to sound sympathetic. Judging from the grateful look Nat shot him, he was successful.

"Yeah, but…damn. It wasn't really his fault."

"Tony, this means that all of the coincidences…remember Erik Selvig telling us that he had some bit of control? He still had to do what he was ordered to do, but he could do things he wasn't specifically ordered not to do, like build in that shut down for the gate," Bruce said. "So Loki was manipulating things, as best he could while not disobeying his orders, to get us, all of us in place to stop the invasion from succeeding."

"Yep. Which means he is one scary smart son of a bitch. And that he probably manipulated the other guy into pounding him into the floor in an effort to break free."

"We've got to do something about this," Cap said. "He's going on trial in Asgard and they don't have all of the facts to make a fair judgment."

Yeah, figured the boy scout would jump on that one first… "You aren't wrong," he agreed. Tony strode out through the observation lounge and onto his launch deck. "Yo, Heimdall! I hope you're listening, because we've got some important news for you. We've just found evidence that Loki was being controlled by the enemy and is not really responsible for the invasion here. In fact, other evidence suggests he fought that control and minimized the damage as much as he could and made it possible for us to shut it down." He paused to take a breath, feeling silly as all hell talking to the air like this. There had to be a better way to communicate. "Anyway, we have to insist that your tribunal take this in to consideration during the trial and sentencing. We're the ones he wronged and we're leaning towards letting it go, that has to count for something, even to your people." He sighed. Hopefully the all-hearing bastard was listening.

He trudged back into the dining room where Kara was sitting hunched over in her seat with tears running down her cheeks. Pepper had an arm around her and Nat was standing behind her, rubbing Kara's shoulders. Kara looked up. "Do you think it will help?" she asked.

Tony sighed again. "Well, he got word to Thor earlier. And per Hogun and Fandral, he told Odin about your little challenge, so there's no reason to think he won't pass this on, too." He shrugged. "Whether it will help, that I can't tell you. I guess it depends on how they view it."

… …

"Damnation, no!" his brother yelled as he slammed the flat of both hands onto the patch of grass he was examining. "How are they doing that?" Loki snarled.

Thor dismounted and walked over to give his brother a hand up. "Doing what, Loki?" he asked as softly as he could manage, not liking the desperately haunted expression on his lean face.

Loki shook his head. "Hiding their trail, brother." Thor's mood brightened as it always did when Loki acknowledged their bond, especially when he did it so casually, without thinking about it. "I can feel the magic…hells, I can smell it. But there is no trail leading here or away from here. Power this intense _cannot_ be just turned on and turned off so completely, but there is _nothing_. It's been the same thing every day for nigh on a week; it's so damned frustrating."

"I can see that," Thor agreed, frowning as Loki seemed to pull in upon himself. "We'll find them."

"I don't see how, Thor." Loki looked at him and Thor could see despair in his little brother's green eyes. "I-I've failed…again," he said, sounding lost.

"No. You have not failed." He sighed as Loki pulled away from him and stood staring off into the distance, shoulders hunched. "Loki, we asked only that you do your very best to find them. You have done that, and you are finding them, even if it is only where they have just been. That is not a failure," he insisted. "You are closer behind them than even Odin could manage with all of his vast power." Loki turned to glare at him and Thor was startled to see wetness in his brother's eyes.

"Don't you see? That does not matter; if I cannot stop this, then I will be responsible for an invasion of Asgard. If I do not die in the battle that will follow, then the All-Father will be forced to sentence me for betraying the realm. You do know how harsh such a sentence must be?"

Thor shuddered. He did know. The last Æsir sentenced for such a betrayal had been drained of all but his immortality and was still imprisoned in the dungeons, and it had been five centuries since his trial. "Loki, our father could not…"

"For the love of Asgard, Thor, he is _NOT _my father! Do you not understand that I was a potential tool for him, nothing more?" Loki sank back down onto the ground, shaking. "Now I am not only useless to him, I have betrayed all that he ever cared for. He will not be merciful."

Blinking back tears of his own, Thor settled himself down on the ground and pulled Loki into his embrace. "I do not think you meant to betray us, brother. I will convince him of that, somehow. I swear I will not let…"

"Don't promise what you have no power over. I will not have you forsworn. If you must promise me something, promise me this. Swear that you will somehow, even if you must coerce him, get Kara healed. That is all I would ask of you."

"I've already promised that, and I will do so." Thor looked down at Loki's drawn expression. Silent tears slid down his cheeks. "You truly love her," he said in awe.

"Don't be foolish," Loki whispered in a hoarse voice. "She's mortal."

Thor smiled. "Love is almost always foolish, my brother. It's expected."

His brother laughed brokenly. "Fine. Then I am the greatest of fools. I do love her." He looked up with a bitter smile. "I not only fell in love with a mortal, but with one who will die far younger than most. I never do things by half, do I?"

Chuckling, Thor hugged his little brother tightly and was happy to feel Loki return it. "No, Loki, you have always done everything to the greatest of extremes."

… …

Kara fussed with the diamonds that Tiffany's had lent to her for the big occasion. Natasha was also sporting borrowed jewelry. Nat however, did not look as nervous as Kara felt. The assassin frowned at her as she tugged at the necklace once again. "Kara, it's all in the attitude. Act like you were born to it, and you will look like you were born to it."

"Humph. You, at least, have the name for it." Kara turned to stare at her friend. "Are you related to the royal line?" she had to ask.

Nat shrugged. "The last Czar was my first cousin twice removed, so, yes. But that and a dollar won't even get me a cup of coffee these days."

"There, see? You were born to it. I, well, wasn't."

"No, but you're loved by a prince of Asgard and rightful heir of Jötunheim. That's got to count for something."

Kara felt Nat bracing for a poor reaction to her words. "Relax, I'm not going to spaz out on you. I'll be sensitive about it, probably for as long as I live, but I've got better self control than to just dissolve into a weeping mess at the slightest mention. I save that for when I go to bed at night; that's when it really hurts." She smiled at her friend's approving smile and pat on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm tough."

Nat chuckled quietly. "You're an Avenger, Kara, that goes without saying."

… …

"Okay, I guess I'm ready," Tony muttered as he inspected himself in the mirror. Again.

Pepper smiled. He'd said the same thing at least four times in the past ten minutes. "You are, now stop admiring yourself, it's time to go."

"I'm not admiring myself, I'm making sure I'm ready to have everyone else admire me. After all, can't let the fan girls down."

"Or the fan boys." She broke out into a laugh at his disconcerted expression. "Oh, come on, Tony. Don't tell me you don't know you are the reigning favorite of the gay community?" He flushed and she laughed harder. "Seriously, you were voted 'Most Lickable Celebrity' last year."

"Huh, not this year?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

She rolled her eyes. "They haven't had the vote this year yet."

"Oh, good. Hmm. Good thing Fr…uh, Loki went back to Asgard."

Now that was a non sequitur and a half. "Okay, I'm probably going to regret asking, but why?"

"He had to undress for those scans back at S.H.I.E.L.D., the two technicians assisting were all but losing it. One of them was male, but I didn't really think he was gay."

Pepper shrugged. "Maybe he was bi?"

"Could be. Anyway, Loki noticed and started pretty much posing for them. It was…interesting."

"Huh, is he that hot naked?"

That earned her a frown. "I don't know. I-well, damn. Yeah, I guess he is. But I'm hotter." He smiled at her skeptical look. "Hey, I am, literally. Human body temperature is a few degrees higher than an Æsir, and theirs are higher than the Frost Giants."

"Oh, Tony." She shook her head and draped her arms around his neck. "I think you are the hottest of the hot," she assured him.

"Yeah, well…that's good, then."

"It is, now come on, we can't be late."

"Fine." He followed her from the room and they stopped to wait for the elevator. "Pepper, you will always be the most gorgeous woman in the world to me, you know that, right?"

She smiled the serene smile that never failed to drive him insane. "I do know it, but it's nice to hear it, frequently."

He laughed. "You've got it, babe."

… …

"So, you're Dr. Banner, huh?"

Bruce turned to look at the young woman who had spoken. She was about five-eight or so, with dark wavy hair, greenish eyes behind her glasses and had full pouty lips and a very amazing cleavage that was shown off by her deep cut sapphire blue gown. "Yes, I'm Bruce Banner," he said, wondering what the girl wanted with him. He wasn't exactly the most popular member of the Avengers at the event. Rogers was surrounded by a bevy of women who still weren't managing to drag him away from his blonde date.

She held out a hand and he took it reflexively. "Darcy Lewis. I work for Jane…Dr. Foster and Dr. Selvig. They weren't able to make it so sent me to visit." She grinned irrepressibly. "I think they just wanted to get me out of their hair for a while."

He had to return her smile. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yeah, you don't know me." She stared at him with a totally perplexed expression for a minute before speaking again. "I don't know, I just can't picture you getting big and green."

Bruce blinked. She was a forward, tactless girl, but…that was better than beating around the bush, he supposed. "Um, thank you?"

Darcy laughed. "I'm sorry. I guess you can see why they're glad for a vacation from me. I don't have much of a tact filter."

"That's okay. I spend a lot of time with Tony Stark, I not only work with him, I live in his tower. He has no such filter at all."

"Wait, you live with _that _guy," she said, pointing at Tony, "and you don't hulk out on him on a regular basis? Wow, you must have great control."

"It's gotten better. He knows not to follow me if I walk away."

"Good to know. You got a girlfriend?" she asked just as he took a sip of champagne and he nearly choked before he managed to swallow.

"Uh, ahem. No."

Darcy frowned. "Well, that sucks, you're a handsome man." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you gay? It's okay if you are, I don't have a problem with that, just would be good to know, you know?"

Bruce found himself staring at her. She wasn't kidding, she had no filter on that lush mouth whatsoever. "Um, no, I'm not gay." She didn't ask if he was bi, thank heaven. That wasn't something he wanted to discuss with someone he'd just met…particularly when he wasn't sure a hundred percent sure about it himself. Finding certain men attractive did not necessarily mean he wanted a sexual relationship with them.

"Cool." She frowned again. "Do you think Stark is going to mind putting me up at the tower? Jane didn't exactly ask before she sent me here."

Oh boy. "I'll, uh, let Pepper know. She'll take care of it."

"Excellent, thanks, Bruce. Um, can I call you Bruce? I'm not really good with all the doctor this and doctor that stuff."

"Sure, no problem." His eyebrows rose as she wrapped a hand around his arm and stepped in close.

"Great." Darcy smiled up at him. "I've always loved the absent-minded professor look."

Oh. Boy.

… …

"Dr. Gunnarssen?" Kara looked up at the fortyish man approaching her with a bimbo on his arm. "I'm Roger Miller, head of Trauma at NYP, we met briefly last month?"

"Oh, you're the surgeon that helped us save Loki. Yes, I remember. Thank you."

"You're welcome, I suppose. Were you able to get any intel out of the bastard?"

She stiffened. "Loki willingly helped us to prevent a larger invasion. We didn't have to _get _anything out of him."

"I'm sure he got something out of it, too. People like that never change."

Kara gritted her teeth and reminded herself to be polite. New York Presbyterian had the best trauma center in the city. There was no telling when they'd need them again. "Actually, we discovered he had been coerced into his earlier attack. He wasn't in control of his own actions."

Dr. Miller burst out laughing. "Oh, right. Sure, I bet he's pleading temporary insanity. Though, wait. Isn't he the Norse god of lies? Bet he puts Machiavelli to shame."

If the jerk didn't shut up, she was going to lose it. A stabbing pain shot through her head. "I don't think…"

"Um, Dr. Gunnarssen, I don't want to alarm you, but your nose is bleeding," the asshole said, his voice finally quieting.

She put a hand to her upper lip. Sure enough, a steady drip of blood quickly coated her fingers. "Damn it." Looking around, she saw Hawkeye having a conversation with the Black Widow. "Clint? I need a hand here." He looked up and the two of them hurried over.

"Crap, doc, what happened?"

"Another migraine. I need to go home." She looked over at the hovering surgeon and his arm candy. "Good night Dr. Miller," she said then turned her back on the man. "Get me out of here before I let loose on that bastard," she hissed to Clint.

"Got it. Nat, you want to let Stark know what happened?"

"Will do. I'll catch you both at home."

"Come on, doc, this way," he said, wrapping a strong arm around her waist.

They'd not quite made it to the door when Steve rushed up to them, the pretty blonde waitress he'd brought to the event hurrying behind him. "Doc, we've got an ice pack for your nose," he said as Beth held out a small bag of semi-frozen gel ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth.

"If you hold it here, the bleeding should stop pretty quick," she said pointing to the optimum location. "I've got a damp towelette for the blood, too.

"Thanks, Beth, Steve," Kara managed, taking both items and applying them. "Clint is taking me back to Avengers' Tower."

"We'll go with you. Beth says she's even more bored than I am."

The girl grinned. "It's a real good excuse."

Clint snorted. "Glad to see it's not just me. Come on, doc. Let's get you home and to bed."

… …

Loki stiffened atop his horse as he felt a heavy influx of power building. "Thor, we've got a problem, I think…oh gods, they've got it in place to open a gate, I can feel the power building up."

"Which way?" his brother asked tersely.

He stood up in the stirrups. "That way," he said pointing, then dropped back down in the saddle and spurred his mount forward. They pounded across the dry wash and up the side of the barren riverbed. "We're not going to get there in time," he shouted. "I'll take your horse, go back to the Valhöll, the All-Father must be warned!"

Thor nodded and flung himself from the horse's back. "Head directly back there, if it's already started, you can't stop it, no one can. We need to assemble the host!"

"I'll be right behind you. Go!" Loki grabbed the abandoned reins and turned his own steed toward the Valhöll. His brother was right. He couldn't stop it, but if the device their unknown enemies had built was similar in design to the one put together by Erik Selvig, then the scepter could shut it down. He'd need to be on the Bifröst to travel to Midgard, even under his own power. With the precarious position he was in, he'd ask Odin's permission first. He yelled to the horses as he urged them into a desperate gallop back to the heart of the golden city.

… …

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know Loki's eyes didn't glow the same blue as the scepter and tesseract in the movie, I'm taking artistic license. Thank you all again for taking the time not only to read, but to comment and PM me. It really makes my day. I'll try to start off 2013 with a new chapter, but no promises!


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Notes:** As hoped, here is your New Year's Day edition. Happy 2013, everyone!

... ...

Steve handed Beth out of the limo and then reached in to take Dr. G from Clint Barton. She was trembling slightly, still holding the ice pack to her face. The bleeding had slowed, considerably, but hadn't stopped. "We'll be up to your suite in a minute," he assured her, though he wasn't sure that would help any.

"No. Take me to the testing room. I need to bleed off some of the energy or it's just going to get worse," she mumbled. Pulling the blood-stained towel away from her nose she frowned. "No pun intended."

Huh? "Uh, okay." He strode to the elevator, cradling her in his arms. "Jarvis, testing level, please," he ordered as the doors opened and they entered the elevator.

"Yes, Captain Rogers," Jarvis replied. "Master Archer, would you be available to take a call from Director Fury and Dr. Selvig?"

"Yeah, why not, that will just be the icing on the cake tonight," Barton muttered.

Steve grinned. "I'll get Dr. G situated and then meet you in the comm room." He looked at Beth. "Oh, um, I should have the driver take you home, I guess. I'm really sorry about this."

"It's okay. But maybe I can stay and help with Kara? I start my internship in May, so I do know a few things about being a medical doctor," she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. But..." he trailed off, trying to find a tactful way to tell her that she didn't have clearance.

"Steve, really. I'll sign confidentiality paperwork, whatever you need. My dad was Secret Service, he was killed in the line of duty a while back, but I was old enough to know all about that kind of thing."

He shrugged. "Okay. Doc, that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, sure. Probably a good idea."

They exited on the testing level leaving Barton to go back up to the communications level alone. The testing level was several stories underground which unnerved him a bit. He had an ongoing concern that if something went wrong down here it could take out the whole building. They'd all tried to explain to him why it couldn't, but it still bugged the heck out of him. "Okay, here we go," he said as Beth stepped ahead of him and held open the door that Jarvis had unlocked for them. "Where should I put you?"

"I can stand, you know," Dr. G told him, sounding irritated. He flushed and set her on her feet. "Beth, help me get out of this dress and then take it into that observation room over there. Normally what I do doesn't affect my clothing, but this is a designer original, and I really don't want to chance it considering how crappy I feel. Steve, show Beth how to secure the…are you blushing? Oh for God's sake, Steve. I've still got my underwear on."

"Sorry, I…uh, force of habit?"

"Jesus. Beth, you've got a lot of work to do with that man."

Beth giggled. "That's okay. I'm thinking he's worth it."

He fought back another blush. "Uh, thanks. Let me show you how to do the lock down in the observation room to keep you safe while Dr. G does her thing." He led the way into the reinforced and shielded room and then showed her the mechanism and explained the control panel. "If anything goes wrong, just call out to Jarvis, he's the computer system that runs the tower, and he'll get me or Clint, okay?"

"I've got it. Thanks for trusting me, Steve." She laid one hand on his chest and touched his tensed jaw with the other.

"No, thank you for helping, it means a lo…" Her lips reached his and he totally lost track of what he'd been trying to say. He gasped when she pulled back slightly, grinning mischievously. "Um. Wow."

She smiled. "I love it that you blush, I think it's really sweet. But you'd better go take that call from director whosits."

"Yeah, um…yeah. If you need anything…"

"I'll ask Jarvis, I've got this."

"Thanks." He leaned in and kissed her back, quickly, then headed for the elevator, fighting another blush. "Good thing she likes the blush," he muttered crossly as the elevator doors closed. "Doesn't look like I'm going to be able to stop doing it anytime soon."

… …

Beth finished locking down the room, then hit the intercom lever that Steve had shown her. "Okay, Kara. I'm all locked in." The redhead nodded and then turned to face what looked like dummies made of wrapped material. Beth gasped as three of them burst into flame. "Oh, wow. That's…awesome," she whispered.

Kara Gunnarssen looked over her shoulder at her. "It's freaky," she corrected.

"Oh, crap. Sorry, I forgot to turn off the intercom. But, you know, it really is awesome. I mean, yeah, Iron Man could do that, but only with tech. You don't need tech."

The pyrokinetic shrugged. "I need tech to protect myself from everything else. Tony's armor protects him. Steve can take hit after hit and keep on going. Bruce, hell, shoot Bruce and you get the Hulk spitting the bullets back out at you. Me, not so much."

Beth shrugged. "They'd have to see you coming, first." She frowned as a printer turned on and papers flowed out of it.

"Miss Anderson, please read and sign the confidentiality agreement. I am making a video record of you doing so in lieu of witnesses," the disembodied voice of the tower's computer system advised her.

"I can't witness, Jarvis?" Kara said from the other room.

"No, Dr. Gunnarssen. Verification independent of the Avengers is necessary. I'm sending a live feed to legal of the proceedings."

"Okay, just checking." She walked up to the viewport. "I'm done in here. Do you want to go up and get something to eat with me once you've read through that?"

Beth looked up from her reading. "Ah, sure. Let me get the door." She reached over and hit the disengage buttons for the lockdown. The hydraulics released the door with an audible hiss. "This might take a while," she continued, holding up the stack of papers.

"No problem. I'm going to go up to my suite, take a quick shower and then get some street clothes on." Beth felt her eyebrows lift as Kara looked her over critically. "You're about my size, give or take an inch here and there. I've got some clean workout clothes you can borrow if you want to get comfortable."

"Sure, that would be great."

"Jarvis, when Miss Anderson is done here, direct her to my suite."

"Yes, doctor."

"See you in a few," Kara told her with a tired smile as she picked up her dress and headed for the elevator.

"Okay." Beth slogged her way through the rest of the document. One thing her dad had always insisted on was that you read every page of a contract, regardless of how much you trust the people who have offered it. Finally reaching the end, she picked a pen from a cup of pens and pencils that sat on the room's desk and started to sign at the bottom.

"Miss Anderson. I apologize for the necessity, but you will first need to read the contract aloud and then indicate that you are signing it willingly and without coercion."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." She sat back down and picked up the first page. "I, Bethany Margaret Carter Anderson, do hereby swear and affirm…"

… …

Clint looked up as Cap strode into the room. "What's up?" the still tuxedo-clad man asked.

"Something's going on with that freaking scepter. S.H.I.E.L.D. is in a panic and wants us to come guard it."

"Well, if we're not actually under attack, they've got to agree to the standard contracted rates," Steve said with a shrug, obviously trying to appear disinterested.

Fury sighed from the screen. "Yes, the contracts are signed and on their way to you. When can you get here?"

"Well, Clint and I can leave now. Tony can join us later. He's in the middle of his engagement ball and I'm not going to ask him to leave it if we don't have an actual attack ongoing."

"How's Kara?" Fury asked.

"Not sure, she was still blowing off some steam when I left them. Jarvis?"

"Yes, captain. Dr. Gunnarssen is headed to her suite for a shower and a change of clothing. She appears to be much improved."

"Fury, we'll check with her and see if she's up for it. She had another migraine tonight, so it's iffy right now."

"Understood. Keep me informed."

Fury signed off and Clint looked at Rogers. "I don't know if that's a good idea," he told Steve.

"Are you going to tell her she can't if she wants to? Or take off without her and deal with how upset she'll be later?"

"That would not just be no, but hell, no." Clint sighed. "Jarvis, open up a line to Dr. G's suite."

"Opened, Master Archer."

Rogers shook his head. "Are you never gonna get that fixed?"

He grinned. "Why? I kind of like it."

"It might bug Dr. G, considering who came up with it."

"Oh, shit. I never thought of that. Damn."

"It doesn't bother me, Clint," Dr. G's voice came over the line Clint had forgotten he'd asked for. "It makes me smile."

"Cool. Fury needs backup for guarding the scepter, something funky is going down with it and they're running around like chickens without heads."

"We going?"

He winced. "Ah, yeah, if you're up to it."

"No problem. Make me up a few fluffanutter sandwiches for the road, guys. I'm going to need the carbs and the protein and grab me a few cokes for the caffeine. I'll suit up and meet you near the helipad. Oh, Steve, I'll get Beth into some sweats, Jarvis said her paperwork is completed and he's left a message to that effect for Tony. She can wait in the game room for the others to get back, or Jarvis will order a car for her if she wants."

"Good deal."

… …

"Father!" Thor called out as he strode into the Valhöll. "Loki feels a gate opening, we must assemble the host!"

The eldest of the gods turned and frowned at him. "Yes, Thor, I have felt it as well." Odin looked beyond him. "Where is your brother?" he asked.

"Following behind with the horses. He sent me ahead with Mjölnir. We did not feel the news could wait." Thor looked around and noticed the scurrying of servants and warriors making preparations. "Father," he said softly. "Loki is…despondent. He feels that he has failed us."

The All-Father sighed. "I have been watching the two of you closely, as has Heimdall. Loki has done his utmost, in that we are agreed."

"Then?"

"It will count in his favor, should we all survive to bring him before the tribunal." Odin frowned at him again as he opened his mouth to speak. "Son, I know he did not willingly bring this upon us. But he has committed other crimes and he must be held responsible for them. I cannot simply accept an apology and slap him on the wrist, you know this. He nearly destroyed Jötunheim and killed many Midgardians."

"I know it, father. But I ache for him. Perhaps if I'd been a better brother, none of this would have happened."

"Or I a father? Yes, I know how my silence on his heritage affected him. I did not need your Midgardian healer to point it out. Think, my son. If Loki had not gone into the void, would these forces still covet Asgard and its treasures? I believe they would. At least now we know what they seek and can protect it at all costs, and if necessary send it far away to keep it from their master."

"The gauntlet Loki spoke of; the one he said I must never use, nor ever allow him to use, is this the treasure they seek?"

"If their master is the mad Titan as I suspect, then yes. And he must not have it, even if the Realm Eternal must meet its end to prevent it."

"I understand, father. But please, will you speak to Loki. Let him know his efforts are appreciated? It would give him heart for the battle to come."

Odin's sole eye looked off into the distance. "I will give him what encouragement I can."

… …

Kara paced in the open area between the main gates and the locked down building. Fort freaking Knox. Good grief. They'd stashed Doctors Foster and Selvig and the damned scepter in the middle of the nation's gold repository. Brilliant. Freaking idiots. The military personnel had been pulled from all but the outer walls and replaced with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. That did not make _her _feel particularly secure. If she were called on to use her gifts fully, there would be too many damn witnesses happy to report back to their damned council, if not actually open fire on her if it scared them enough. If this wasn't all a wild-goose chase and she was going to go down, she was damned well going to take Nick Fury with her. "God, I hate this," she muttered.

"Take it easy, doc," Steve said over her earpiece. "This thing is really going crazy in here. This isn't a false alarm. Even with the new containment system the energy is flying all over the place."

"Have they come up with any idea as to what's causing it?" she asked.

"Jane Foster thinks a wormhole has opened somewhere…not here, though. Dr. Selvig is now reluctantly agreeing."

"Oh God. That's…really bad. Damn it, Steve, we just got Loki put back together, what if those bastards take him again?"

She could hear the soldier sigh. He sounded tired. "I-I know, doc…Kara. I'm sorry, I wish I had better news for you."

"It's okay, Steve. Thanks. Any word from Tony?"

"Hawkeye here," Clint's voice announced. "Iron Man is on his way. The others will follow as soon as transportation reaches them."

"Iron Man here…well, not there, but…hmm, looks like I'm still over Pennsylvania. I should be there in maybe a half-hour."

"Should we leave the tower empty?" she wondered aloud.

"Jarvis has it locked down tight. Pepper and Beth are there to keep us up to date if anything happens that needs a human decision. Well, Pepper is there to make the decision, and she's got Beth to keep her company," Tony said.

"That will have to do. We've really got to think about recruiting new members though, if this kind of crap is going to continue."

"No shit, kid. How's the armor feel?"

She moved around, stretching. "Comfortable. I can move pretty normally. I like what you did with the back of the knees and insides of the elbows. It's much more flexible."

"Cool beans. Okay, hang in there, team. Pepper just let me know that a Quinjet has arrived for Bruce and Natasha so they'll be about a half-hour behind me." She could hear his chuckle over the link. "Avengers Assemble and bill S.H.I.E.L.D. through the nose for this one."

"I just hope we don't have to earn it."

… …

Loki sprawled on the manicured grounds outside of the building that was his target. Something had forced him to rebound from shifting himself directly to the scepter's location. "Damnation," he muttered as he climbed to his feet, glad that he'd worn his full armor. "That…hurt." He frowned and examined the energy that suffused the building. It was similar to the containment field they'd used previously, but was much refined. He could break through it, but it was going to…

"Loki? What are you doing here?"

He looked toward the familiar voice, one that he would, under normal circumstances, have been happy to hear. "Stand aside, Kara. I need that scepter," he ordered.

"I can't do that. Go away, Loki. You can't be here."

"Sweet lady, I don't want to hurt you, or anyone here, but I _will _take the scepter, I cannot leave without it."

"Damn it, Loki. I'm not kidding. We have sworn to protect the damn thing and I will drop you if you keep coming. Please don't make me do this," she asked.

He didn't have time for their petty concerns. "Your fire won't hurt me. I'll simply shift forms," he told her, preparing to do so.

"You don't know everything I can do. I'm sorry, Loki. I love you, but I have to stop you."

He smirked. How sweet, she actually thought she could stop…his eyes widened as he hit the ground, gasping for breath. A wave of anger, more powerful than he'd thought he could even imagine swept through him, immobilizing him with its intensity. Yes, he was angry at the delay, angry at the Chitauri's masters, angry at Odin, but this? This…was a lie. This…wasn't real. He shook his head, resolutely pushing the false feelings away and dragged himself back to his feet. Kara's faceplate was up and she was staring at him. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I can do more, Loki. Stand down, please."

"I cannot." He took a few strides forward and found himself laughing. Doubling over with the strength of the absolute hilarity he felt, he found himself falling to the ground once more. This was so damned funny! The absolute ludicrousness of it all was amazing. He laughed, rolling on the ground until tears streamed down his face. Wait…what was funny? No…no, it was another lie! How in the nine? Shaking it off, he managed to stand again. "Interesting. But not enough to stop me, darling girl."

"Don't push me, I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded.

He smiled and took a step. The smile faltered as a wave of fear ran through him, giving him the chills. He looked around for the Other and his master. They weren't there, but surely they were close by? They would kill him this time…he had no defense, he could not talk, he could not plead his case…wait, he could, there was no muzzle this time…this time? The fear intensified and he cried out in terror. "No, make it stop, I cannot…I will not betray them! No!" He could not betray them, not again, he'd rather die. He searched desperately for his tormentors…no, wait. There were no…another, another lie. It was another damned lie! How embarrassing, he was the god of lies, damn it, a lie could not fell him. Loki struggled to stand and standing, took another step towards the figure that seemed enveloped by a golden metallic fire.

Kara. His Kara. Loki didn't realize he was falling again until his knees hit the ground. She was his, she would always be his; joy filled him at the realization. Kara understood. Kara knew the monster and loved it…and he loved her. Bliss poured through him at the thought. It didn't matter that she was mortal. It didn't matter that she would age and…it mattered. It would always matter. The joy diminished as the realization that he could never truly have her as his own permeated his joy-addled mind. "Oh, sweet love. I cannot lose you," he whispered.

… …

Tears were obscuring her vision. This was the worst thing she'd ever had to do. Ever. Loki was crawling back to his feet again. She didn't understand how he was managing to punch through her projections so easily. No one she'd tested it on had ever been able to break through it on their own, they'd either pass out or she'd release the projection and use her energy healing to clear out the remains. He stared at her, his expression resolute. "No, Loki. Please stop. I don't want to do this to you," she sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I must have it." She groaned at his words and hit him with the emotion she knew would likely cripple him as he'd barely pulled himself from the depths of the real thing. His lean features twisted into an expression of total despair as he fell to the ground once more. Long minutes passed as she continued to cry and amplify the emotion and force it into his energetic body. He was curled almost into a fetal position, tears running down his face, sobs wracking his body. She couldn't take much more of watching this.

He shuddered, then coughed and rolled to his knees. Kara felt the energy hit a wall and disperse yet again. Amazing. How he'd broken out of it, she didn't understand, but she was glad of it. Watching him suffer the weight of abject despair had been heartbreaking. "Oh, Loki, I'm so sorry. Please don't make me do this anymore. Please, you have to stop," she begged again.

"Hang in there kiddo, I'm almost there." Fresh tears, this time of relief, welled up. Surely Loki would back down once Tony arrived. He had to.

She frowned as he started to lunge forward towards his goal and searched frantically for something else to throw at him so that she would not have to use her fire. Maybe…? Lust wasn't an emotion, exactly, but it should work the same way, shouldn't it? "Last chance, Loki. Please stop, we can talk about this."

"No time, Kara. I must…" he broke off and hit his knees again. She gasped as he looked up at her from under his helmet, his eyes burning. "Oh, my lady. _That _was a mistake." Loki bounded to his feet and lunged forward again, sweeping her into his arms. His lips crushed hers as he took them in a searing kiss. "Oh, sweet Kara, how I have missed you," he said, his voice sounding…tender.

"I don't understand," she whispered, touching his cheek. "That barely slowed you down."

Loki chuckled. "Darling girl. Love will always overpower lust." She frowned at him, totally confused. "Kara, I love you. Lust for you is always with me, but my love for you controls it."

"You…oh, Loki." She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest. In her heightened state, she was wide open to everything he was feeling, and it was no lie. He did love her. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled.

"It's all right, love. Now stand aside, I have to get the scepter."

… …

"Let the woman go, or I'll fire," a vaguely familiar metallic edged voice commanded.

How tiresome. "Anthony, I'm not hurting her. I need the damned scepter."

The billionaire landed his suit in front of them and flipped back his face plate. "What the hell happened to calling me Tony?" he asked.

Loki sighed. "You threatened me, it seemed appropriate."

"Well, Christ, ice man. You come here, trying to take an artifact your brother insisted we protect, then you've got your hands all over my honorary sister, what the hell did you expect?"

"Don't be more of an ass than you must, Stark. I need the bloody scepter. A gate has been opened in Asgard, Chitauri are pouring through, and it must be closed. The energy feels identical to that of the gate Selvig helped build, so the scepter should likely close it."

"Loki!" Kara snapped at him. "Why didn't you just _say _that?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm in a damned hurry. Now give me the scepter, I must take it to Asgard."

"Yeah, sorry, bud, but no can do," Stark said.

"What? I see, you don't trust me."

"Loki, I trust you, but I can't give it to you either. We and S.H.I.E.L.D. promised Thor we'd turn it over to no one but him. Why didn't he come for it?"

"I-I don't know. He never mentioned anything to me about such a promise. Damnation, that idiot. He's in the front lines, battling the Chitauri. Odin is concentrating his power on holding them back, and I'm the only one who can travel between the realms without it."

"Okay, now what do we do?" Stark asked.

Loki frowned as a door opened in the building and Rogers and Barton emerged. "The scepter's going crazy," Barton said. "You know anything about that?"

"Gods. It means the All-Father's power is no longer sufficient to hold the gate to a minimal size. It must be opening larger which means they'll be able to send their leviathans through now." He looked at the Avengers speculatively. "Wait, you promised Thor you would not _give_ the scepter to anyone. Did you promise not to take it anywhere?"

Stark looked thoughtful. "Um, no. No, we didn't."

"Good. I can carry one of you, well, one of them," he corrected, pointing at Barton and Rogers, "with me back to Asgard. You can keep your promise, and we can get the scepter where it needs to be to save the realm."

"Why not me?" Stark and Kara asked in unison.

"He's too heavy in his armor, and I am _not _going to risk your life in that battle," he told Kara. "You need to stay safe, I could not bear it were you to fall to those creatures."

"Well, that's very sweet, but I'm a hell of a lot deadlier than either Steve or Clint. Bruce isn't here, or I'd say take him, so I'm the best choice."

"Absolutely not."

"Take all of them," an annoyingly familiar voice suggested. He looked up as Nick Fury emerged from the building.

"I cannot, there is a limit to how much weight that my power can manage."

"Not a problem. Dr. Foster can piggyback on the gate open in Asgard to open one here. If the scepter is going with them, she can send them and you, using your affinity to the place to draw you there. She won't be able to bring anyone back, but when you win, your people can handle that, am I right?"

"_If_ we win."

"I'm willing to bet on the Avengers. They won't let any of us down," the one-eyed man said with a grim smile.


	28. Chapter 28

The U.S. military members on duty outside of the inner chambers that housed the gold reserves looked spooked as they hurried past them. Then they spotted Captain America bringing up the rear and saluted. Kara threw an amused glance over her shoulder as Steve straightened, returned the salute crisply, and said "As you were, soldiers." The six guards relaxed marginally.

Loki frowned at Steve as he caught up with them. "Only six?" he asked. "I was under the impression that this was supposed to be the most secure location on the planet."

Steve shrugged. "You missed all the troops we pulled back outside the walls for their own safety. We could have let them in quickly enough if we needed them. Plus S.H.I.E.L.D. had its best snipers on top of all of the walls, buildings and towers."

"Why did they not fire?"

"Kara was still standing and hadn't ordered it. They were told to leave any attacker to her unless she went down or they were ordered otherwise."

Loki reached out for her gloved hand and squeezed it firmly. "They think highly of your abilities."

"They're scared crapless of me," she corrected. "Especially since their bullets aren't going to slow me down long enough to not fight back in this armor. I'm not going to disabuse them of the notion that I'm totally badass."

He smiled. "You, my precious lady, _are _totally badass, as you put it. I have never felt such power."

"Humph. It didn't slow you down much."

"No," he said with a smug smirk. "But I am the god of lies, my dear. And your power works on lying to your target about how they feel. It took a bit to sort out that it _was_ a lie each time, but once I had, it was relatively easy to break free. I'm impressed you were able to affect me at all. That tells me more than anything that you are a force to be reckoned with. None of the Æsir would be able to do as I did."

"That's true. I demonstrated the terror on Thor. He was begging me to make it stop in seconds."

Loki snickered. "Serves him right. He's always on about how fearless he is. Damn it, Kara, where the hell is the scepter? This is taking far too long."

"It's just around the next corner, don't get grumpy, we're almost there."

"My brother's people are fighting and perhaps dying as we dawdle. Forgive me if I sound _grumpy_."

"They're your people too…and don't start, please." She frowned up at him as he shook his head silently.

"Here we are," Nick Fury told them as he signaled to the S.H.I.E.L.D. guards to open the door to the chamber housing the scepter and Jane Foster's equipment. Jane and Erik Selvig looked up as they entered.

"We're ready to go," Jane told them. "Well, you're ready to go," she amended. "I just need you to stand over there. I recommend you all hold on to each other, and I'd prefer Steve hold on to the scepter, he's got the strongest grip out of our people barehanded. Those of you with gloves on, get them off. We need flesh on flesh contact to be absolutely sure no one gets lost."

"I don't need…" Loki began.

"I didn't say you needed it, but it's not going to be a guaranteed trip to Asgard if you're not linked into the group, so just deal with it if you want the damned scepter to go there," Jane snapped.

Kara bit back a grin as Loki subsided. "Fine." He looked down at her and took her hand once her gloves were tucked away. "Can we just get on with this?" Kara grabbed Steve's wrist with her free hand and watched as Tony and Clint joined hands with Clint taking hold of Steve's other wrist while Steve's hands gripped the scepter firmly.

"Okay, I'm going to release the containment field. Good luck!" Jane called as the world began to disappear in a flash of electric blue light.

… …

Loki staggered as the Bifröst appeared beneath them. Regaining his balance he looked around, noting that none of the mortals had been lost in the journey, thank the nine. He helped Kara to her feet, his poor lady looked quite pale. "That was awful," she managed, looking up at him.

"It was. Normal travel by the Bifröst is far less difficult." He glanced at the others. They were replacing their gloves. Stark had opened his visor and was gulping air.

"Okay, that was better than the freefall through the wormhole back to Earth," he said. "But it still was not fun."

"At least you're conscious this time," Rogers told him.

"There is that. Okay, boss. Where to?"

Loki blinked as he realized Stark was addressing him. He turned to point down the bridge. "The gate is open beyond the Valhöll," he told them. "Eh, the largest of the golden buildings," he clarified at their confused looks. "Kara, you and Barton come with me, with all of the energy flying about I'll be able to transport you both to a high point where you'll have a good line of sight on the enemy. Stark…Tony, take Captain Rogers and fly towards the battle, I'll meet you at the base of the Valhöll where we can strategize how to get the scepter to the gate."

"Roger that," Stark said, closing his visor. "Cap, hold on to the scepter and I'll grab you around your waist from behind. Just relax, I won't drop you."

"Wait," Rogers said. "We need to do a comm check." The man tapped the device like the ones they'd all put in their ears and ran lightly down the Bifröst a ways. "Hawkeye," Loki heard over the one in his own ear and then heard the archer respond. "Iron Man," was said before Stark responded. Roger's voicing of "Hellbringer," brought a response from Kara. "Loki."

"Yes, I hear you on the device," he confirmed.

"Great. Iron Man, fly on by and pick me up."

"Hey, soldier, you come here often?" Stark said as he flew towards Rogers.

"You're a laugh a minute," Rogers groused.

Loki turned to the others. "Kara, Barton, both of you step in close. The cliff ledge I'm taking you too is deep enough to be safe but it's not excessively wide." He wrapped an arm around each of their waists and repressed a sigh as Barton stiffened. "My apologies, but I must hold on to you securely lest I lose you in transport."

"Yeah, fine, just do it," the archer muttered.

He smiled down reassuringly at Kara's visor, then concentrated and let the power flow through him. A moment later he felt the ledge beneath him. "Barton, step backwards carefully, you are too close to the edge, I've still got you." Barton took his advice and then looked around. "Kara, you are on the inside, step to your right, please." He looked back at Barton who was peering out over the battlefield.

"Holy shit, it's worse than New York," the man muttered.

"Yes, I'd had Selvig limit the power flow on the gate there. It couldn't get any bigger than it did. Unfortunately whoever is helping the  
enemy here showed no such restraint."

"Shit, you really were trying to minimize the damage," Barton said.

He shrugged. "Are you both close enough to reach your targets?"

"I am," Kara said. "If I can see it, and it's flammable, I can make it burn."

Barton frowned. "Yeah, I'm at the outside of my range, but I can manage. I don't have a hell of a lot of ammo, though."

Loki looked down at the full quiver. "Let's do something about that, then." He held a hand over one of the arrows experimentally. A wave of power flowed and with his second sight he could see it settle in that section of the quiver. "Pull that arrow," he directed. Barton did as instructed and an identical arrow replaced the one that had been removed. "Excellent. Let me do the others."

"Wait, Loki. Clint, get your specialty arrowheads for this kind of fight on some of the other arrows. If Loki's magic is duplicating them, you want the best selection possible."

Loki frowned as Barton opened a compartment on the side and pulled out five arrowheads and replaced the standard heads of five of the arrows, stowing the standard heads back in the compartment. "Okay, that's about the best selection in the main quiver now," the mortal said.

"I'll make that compartment do the same," Loki told them as he held his hands over the entire quiver and concentrated fiercely. The power built up swiftly this time, now that he knew what he was doing with it, and settled into the different sections. "There. You should now be able to pull up to a dozen of each arrow. The spare arrowheads should also replace themselves eleven times for a total of one dozen each. Use them wisely."

"Cool, Clint, you've got something out of an awesome RPG there," Kara enthused.

"RPG?" Loki asked as the archer grunted agreement. "Never mind. Barton. I'm counting on you to watch her back," he said, looking the other man deep in the eyes. "Kara is more important to me than life itself. I am entrusting you with her safety. I-I don't know if I could stand having anything happen to her, do you understand?"

"Yeah. I've got it, no pressure. Protect Dr. G or you'll go crazy on my ass."

He ignored Kara's fierce frown. "No, protect her because she is a treasure who deserves to be protected. If you fail, well, I've failed often enough over the past few months that I cannot hold it against you. I'm simply begging you to do all within your power to keep her safe."

Barton swallowed. "Okay, I won't let either of you down."

"Thank you." He turned to his now glaring lady. "I know, you can protect yourself. But you haven't faced this enemy before. They don't have emotions, they can't feel anything but hunger. If your fire doesn't fell them you are defenseless. Don't try to take on the leviathans, they are definitely fire resistant, confine your attacks to the individual Chitauri or to anyone that seems to be aiding them." He stared out over the battlefield and laughed bitterly. "Oh, of course." He pointed out several dark figures. "The Svartálfar, the dark elves," he explained. "They've long been struggling against the truce between the realms. They've brought the true enemy here. If the Chitauri don't burn, they most certainly will."

"I'll go for them first. They've likely got control of the actual gate."

"Good. Stay safe, my love." Loki stepped back and frowned as Kara grabbed the leather of his armor. His automatic protest was cut short by her fierce kiss. Shuddering, he returned it quickly, then set her aside.

"Don't get your ass killed," she told him with a glare. "If you do, I'll find some damn way to resurrect you and then kill you myself."

He laughed at her claim, then sobered. "I swear, Kara, I will do everything I can to come back safely to you." Loki touched her face one last time then used his power to join Stark and Rogers.

… …

"Christ, looks like The SCA meets Star Wars or something," Tony grumbled as he stared out at the battlefield. "Only with more blood and guts."

"War is always full of blood and guts, Tony," Cap told him quietly. "Even if we don't always see it." Ever the soldier, Rogers stood at attention as he surveyed the fighting. He lifted his free arm and pointed. "There, the concentration of fighting…and there's three distinct groups. The Chitauri, some kind of pointy-eared dark skinned people, and the Asgardians. "I'll bet the device controlling the gate is either in the middle of that or just beyond it."

"You are correct, captain," Loki's voice said from behind them. "The third group are Svartálfar and are also our enemies."

Tony whirled and clapped a hand to his arc reactor. "Damn it, Lokes, give us a warning next time. If I didn't have this giant substitute for a pacemaker, I'd have had a heart attack."

"It does not handle the function of one of your human heart managing devices…does it?"

"No, but shit, you still, oh never mind. What's the plan, other than the obvious?"

Loki frowned at them. "Perhaps, Stark, you could take point, try to clear a path for us. I'll shadow Rogers, keep the worst of the fight off of him as we push our way through to the device."

"I don't need your coddling, Loki."

"You're the most vulnerable of the three of us, Rogers, don't be a fool. I fully expect you to take down your share of opponents, but despite your augmentation, you are a mortal with little armor. I'd rather not have to explain to my lady that I let you get killed."

"Don't suppose you guys have the equivalent of a nuke here," Tony asked. "I could just stuff it down their throats like last…uh, that would be a no," he finished, noting Loki's annoyed expression.

"Okay, let's do this, men," Cap said firmly and took off running toward the battle.

"Insolent mortal," Loki yelled. "Wait to have the path at least somewhat cleared, you fool!"

"Guess that's my cue to take off. Jarvis, are you by any chance with me?" Tony asked the AI, not really expecting an answer.

"Yes, Anthony," the AI responded. Tony winced as he realized he'd used a snarky nickname for Loki back at Fort Knox. "I downloaded an abbreviated version of myself before we traveled through the wormhole. Research capacity is limited, but all computational capacity is at full."

"Coolness. How's the power?"

"Power is currently at one hundred and twenty-five percent. Power increased when we landed on the Bifröst, the reason for this is unknown."

"Nice. And if we run low and we can find Thor, maybe he can charge us up." He began targeting and firing upon Chitauri and the Svartálfar in Loki and Steve's path.

"That would be exceeding dangerous, Anthony. I would advise against it."

"Any more dangerous than running out of juice in the middle of a battle on an alien world, J?"

"Good point, sir."

"You bet your ass it's a good point. Okay, Jarvis, get a bead on the energy from the device holding open the gate, and then compute the best path through this mess to reach it."

… …

Kara grimaced as one of the Svartálfar burst into flame. She consoled herself with the fact that it was war, they were trying and succeeding in a few cases already, to kill the legal residents of this world, and that things would go south for her own world if the bastards won here. She concentrated to build enough heat in a new target to combust it internally…she refused to think of them as 'him' or 'her', that way lay madness.

"I'm not gonna be much help with the Svartálfar, doc. They're moving between the Asgardians and visa-versa too quickly for me to be sure of my target. I'll target the Chitauri that are airborne, take them out of play," Clint told her.

"Sounds good," she replied. "Once I've had my target in sight, they can duck all they want, I've got hold of them energetically and there's no hiding, so I'll concentrate on the ground troops."

"Roger that," he said as he let an arrow fly and not one, not two, but three groups of Chitauri riding some kind of flying sleds were knocked out of the air as the one that Hawkeye hit exploded with the arrow and careened into the others. Unfortunately, that meant the five surviving aliens were now on the ground and clambering to their feet.

"No time like the present to find out if they burn," she muttered, concentrating on the one closest to an Asgardian warrior. In a few short moments, the bastard burst into a very satisfying ball of flame. "Score!" she yelled, pumping a fist in the air. "Did you see that Clint? Not only are the bastards flammable, they're excessively so!"

Clint laughed at her enthusiasm, "Damn good work, doc. Try and get them when they're bunched up, the one that combusts might catch some of the others on fire."

"Damn, didn't even think about that, thanks!" Kara scanned the battlefield and found a small cluster of Chitauri facing off against a wall of Æsir warriors. Eying the one in the center, she focused her concentration…just a moment more…YES! The target burst into flame and the fire quickly spread to its two closest companions. Their opponents appeared stunned for a moment, then raised their weapons in what looked like a cheer and surged forward. "Coolness," she smirked.

A flurry of action around a golden armored one-eyed figure with flowing white hair and a grizzled beard caught her attention. Several Asgardians, some obviously Æsir, some that appeared to be something else, rushed to the man's aid, but were themselves quickly engaged by more of the enemy. For an old guy, he was really kicking ass, sometimes with the actual blade of the huge spear he carried, and sometimes with magic. Odin; the old man had to be the son of a bitch that had screwed over her Loki. Speaking of that silver-tongued devil, there he was, bodily grabbing a dark elf who was about to attack the All-Father from behind and slamming it down across his raised knee to stun it, and then slicing its throat open with a long bladed knife.

… …

Odin looked over his shoulder as one of the enemy disappeared. His estranged son was finishing the forsworn Svartálfar; Loki was armed with naught but his favored knives. "Were you not able to retrieve the scepter?" he asked as the boy reached his side.

"Your son made the mortals promise to give it to no one but him," Loki spat.

"So we are lost."

"No, All-Father. The power of the gate opened here caused a connection to the scepter. The human scientist beloved by Thor was able to use it to open an ancillary gate there. Several of the Avengers have travelled through it and have brought the scepter with them so that the gate may be closed, yet they not break their word." Loki gutted another attacker and leaned in and pointed to where a metal clad being flew ahead, blasting aside the enemy and a blue clad man fought his way forward on foot, swinging the scepter and a round shield with equal fierceness. "There are two more on the cliff, attacking from…" his adopted son paused as a Chitauri headed straight for them burst into flames, seemingly from within. The enemies on either side were engulfed in the small conflagration. Loki laughed. "And there goes my lady's work now!"

Odin nodded as he thrust Gungnir through the heart of an enemy. "Impressive. This is the healer, Kara?" he asked.

"Yes, old man, so watch your step with her."

He smiled. Loki hadn't lost his attitude toward him, but that was to be expected. "I shall, son. Go, help your friends reach the gate, we'll hold the others from the city." Odin turned back to the battle as Loki sneered at him and bounded after the mortal carrying the scepter.

… …

Steve was getting the hang of using the bladed weapon. It wasn't that different from a bayonet, though he'd used one of those only rarely in Germany. The Chitauri went down best from a sweeping strike that pulled their innards out. The dark elves, the Svartal-something or other didn't stay down unless he stabbed through an eye and into their brain and twisted. He risked a quick glance over a shoulder. Loki was headed back toward him after reporting to Odin. Steve heard more than saw a Chitauri fire its weapon his way and raised his shield to deflect the blast back into the mass of enemies. "Excellent strategy, captain!" he heard Thor bellow.

"Thanks, hey, can I give this thing to Loki if he can get in to the gate faster without me?" he shouted back, raising the scepter.

Thor frowned at him. "Of course, why ever not?"

"Uh, you told us not to give it to anyone but you!"

"Ah, but things have changed my friend. Do whatever is necessary, I trust your judgment!" The god swung Mjölnir to clear a path and surged forward into the fray.

"Stark's right," Steve muttered to himself. "Thor is thick-headed."

"Glad to hear I'm not alone in that opinion," Loki laughed from behind him. "What are you waiting for, Rogers? Forward!"

Steve rolled his eyes and moved into the path just cleared by Stark. The gap closed too soon and they were reduced to fighting back to back. He sidestepped quickly as several Chitauri on a flying sled shot their weapons at them nimbly avoiding one blast. The next slammed into his shield before he could brace for it and the impact sent him flying to the side. He managed to roll out of the way of a spear wielded by one of the elves, but another slammed the base of another long poled weapon straight down with a force even his augmented muscle and bone could not resist. "Loki!" he yelled as he felt his femur snap.

… …

"Oh, shit, Cap's down, Cap's down!" Clint yelled over the comm.

Kara turned to look for them and targeted the Svartálfar that was swinging the blade of a halberd down toward Steve's chest. The dark-skinned enemy combusted and the great weapon dropped to the ground harmlessly. "Steve, how bad are you hurt?" she asked.

Loki was bending over him, using Steve's shield as cover. "His leg is broken badly, I'm not going to be able to heal it enough for him to continue. I'll get him out of the middle of the battle. Stark, where are you? Stark!"

There was no answer. Kara looked across the field and didn't see the red and gold armored figure. "Clint? do you see him?"

"He was heading down the throat of a leviathan a minute ago."

She looked back for Loki, but he and Steve were gone. Loki's voice sounded in her ear. "Got him to the rear of the action. Rogers, we'll have to wait for Stark to take the scepter."

"No need," Steve's voice said. "Ran into Thor," he gasped, sounding pained. "Take it and get that damned thing closed."

Kara's eyebrow rose at the sound of Steve cussing, then she grinned. Loki was going to get a chance to be Asgard's hero. "I will. Stay safe, captain," she heard Loki say.

"Steve, where are you?" she asked.

"Near a wall, back by that that big gold Valhöll place. I'm out of the way, don't worry about me."

"Got it, uh, Hellbringer out…is that what I'm supposed to say?'

Clint gave her a disgusted look and Steve laughed weakly over the unit. "Yes, ma'am. You've got it. Captain America out for now."

… …

Loki shifted himself as close to the gate as its energies would allow…which unfortunately, was not that close. He was elated. After so many failures, he would be the one to close the gate and save the Realm Eternal. He would do something that Thor could not…finally. After reconfiguring the scepter to its spear configuration, he advanced on foot, swinging it with viscous abandon, taking down each foe that dared to come within his reach. He used his magic to repel enemies that tried to attack from behind and found he was making steady but maddeningly slow progress. A roar to his left caught his attention. "Thor," he gasped in horror as he saw Mjölnir tumble to the ground as his brother was buried under dozens of Svartálfar all employing magic to keep the god of Thunder down and separated from his weapon.

He looked toward the open gate and back to his brother. He could not close the gate and save Thor. Sif pushed past him with Hogun and Fandral in tow, headed for his buried brother. "Get the gate closed and make yourself useful for once," she snarled at him.

Loki swallowed and made a decision he felt sure he'd regret. "No, wait!" he yelled. "They're using magic to contain him. You can't help." He frowned at the anger on the woman's face. "Take the scepter," he said, thrusting it into Sif's hands. "The three of you can make it to the gate, you need only get the jewel in the stream of energy to close it." Volstagg caught up with them as he spoke. "Volstagg, come with me, your great strength will be needed to clear the enemy off of my brother once I break their magic."

"You heard him, go!" Sif shouted at the others, surprising him. "This had better not be a trick, lie-smith," she hissed quietly.

"No trick. I-I will not see him die." Sif nodded and lead the others off. He turned to Volstagg. "I know you have no love of me, but…"

"No great hate of you, either; let us save Thor," the corpulent warrior boomed.

Loki grinned. "Indeed." He hefted the sword Sif had thrust into his hands. It wasn't his favorite weapon, but it would decapitate a Svartálfar mage handily.

… …

**Author's Note:** Sorry, gang, action scenes are not my forte. Hope my ineptitude with it wasn't too distracting!


	29. Chapter 29

Clint cursed as his arrow exploded harmlessly above the group of Svartálfar that had surrounded the god of Thunder. "Shit, doc, my arrows can't touch them," he yelled.

She turned back from where she'd been frying enemies in Loki's path. "What's up with that?"

"Thor's under there, he lost his hammer!"

"Shit." He grinned when he heard the curse fall from her lips. Her face frowned in concentration and she gasped. "God damn it all to hell! Nothing's happening."

"Some kind of shielding?" he guessed.

"Yeah, but…oh, no. Oh, Loki."

He followed her line of sight and saw the green and gold clad pain in the ass charging toward the pile up followed by a hugely overfed man with a beard that was bigger than his face. Loki no longer had the spear and his mike was off, but was shouting something and pointing at the mound of dark elves. A greenish haze formed around the group and seemed to stick to something invisible. "I think he's using some kind of magic on them, he's fine."

"Yes, but he had the chance to be the hero and save Asgard, and he gave it up to try to save Thor."

"Well, shit." Clint looked back toward the gate. An armored Amazon of a woman was now carrying the scepter. Somehow it had that longer spear handle on it now. The other Asgardians that had visited their tower were flanking her. "Some of the others are heading for the gate, they'll still get it shut."

"You don't understand, Clint," Dr. G said with a sob in her voice. "They would have _had_ to release him if he were their hero. Now, now they might just blame him for all of this…oh God."

He turned to stare at her as she turned her attention to clearing enemies between the downed god of Thunder and the advance of Loki and the huge warrior accompanying him. "He…he gave that chance up?" he said, shocked at the realization.

"Yeah. He gave it up for the brother he barely acknowledges."

… …

Swinging his greatsword to devastating effect against the enemy, Heimdall shouted: "My liege, Thor is down!"

"I know it," the All-Father replied as he braced himself and thrust Gungnir into the belly of a leviathan. The Uru spear tore a gaping fissure in the beast's underside and slime along with an unholy meld of fleshy and mechanized parts began to fall from it. He nodded, satisfied that the construct would crash and 'die' and looked toward the gate. Loki was no longer headed toward it, though he'd been charging in that direction scant moments ago after the blue-clad mortal was stricken down and taken to safety. "Where is Loki?" he wondered aloud as he slashed Gungnir through a Svartálfar warrior, cleaving him in two at the mid-section.

"Headed for Thor," Heimdall returned. "Volstagg accompanies him."

He'd decided to recall the powerful gatekeeper from the Bifröst. His all-seeing eyes were more than valuable in battle, and with a gate open in the middle of Asgard, the likelihood of anyone attempting to enter via an only partially repaired bridge was small. Having the dark warrior at his side enabled him to keep track of all aspects of the battle at once. Odin disemboweled another enemy, one of the Chitauri this time, while he looked for Loki. His adopted son was carrying Sif's sword, by the look of it, and was wielding magic so powerful it glowed to the naked eye. If Loki had Sif's weapon…he spotted the greatest of their women warriors close to the gate. She now bore the scepter and had the other two of Thor's friends assisting her in reaching her goal. "Interesting," he mused, brushing aside a magical attack and returning one of his own.

"He chose to save Thor, my king. That is…significant," Heimdall rumbled, using his foot to push two skewered Chitauri off of his greatsword.

Odin smiled. "So it is. Perhaps his fiery-tempered Midgardian has healed more than she knows."

… …

Tony hooted in triumph as he burst through the gut of a second leviathan. The half-tech and half-flesh construct hurtled to the ground. "Oh shit, that's not good," he muttered as he saw it heading right towards the defending army. "Iron Man to the rescue!" he crowed, totally ignoring the fact that it was his handiwork that endangered them. He hit the side of the leviathan at full speed, changing the direction of its fall. It plowed into the ground just past the struggling masses of warriors and he twisted into a graceful curve to return to the battle.

"Iron Man, where the hell have you been?" Hawkeye snapped over the comm unit.

"In the bellies of space whales, Hawk, where else?"

"Loki needs backup, Thor is down, Cap is out of play."

Shit, go incommunicado for a minute and everything goes to hell. He looked around. Loki and some mountain of a warrior were at the perimeter of a large number of the Svartálfar. A green mist was settling into a shape that looked like a bubble surrounding their target. In the middle of it, he could see Thor, on his back and looking groggy, with a butt-ugly being that was not Chitauri, Svartálfar or anything else he'd ever seen standing over him with a spear, grinning demonically. That couldn't be good. "I see it."

He shifted position mid-air and hovered, sending a blast against the bubble. It bounced off and the whole damn thing lit up like a green Christmas bulb and caught the attention of his ugliness. "Stark, watch it," he heard Loki say over the comm. "He can send power directly into your head."

"What can I do to help?"

"Be ready when the magic falls…the field they've generated will disintegrate and the green mist will fall directly down on the enemy. Then you are clear to attack. Meanwhile, back off lest The Other target you!"

"Got it." He pulled back and hovered, checking out the rest of the battle. "Oh, who are you, gorgeous?" he muttered as he saw a tall woman rushing towards the gate with the Hardy Boys.

"Seriously, Tony? What would Pepper think?" Loki's snide tone broke through his admiring daze.

"Hey, I'm committed, not blind!" Tony grinned as Loki snickered. "Okay, let's see what we can do to clear them a path, Jarvis."

"Of course Anthony. May I suggest using the energy canon, targeting…there," his trusty AI told him as a targeting grid was displayed.

"Firing now; woo, doggy!" he shouted gleefully as the beam struck a sled and it careened into a wave of Chitauri already on the ground. "Nice one, J!"

"I exist to serve, Anthony."

"Shit, Loki, if we get out of this you are going to fix Jarvis or else."

"Idle threats do not concern me. I've almost got this field down. Can you see Thor?"

Tony spun in mid-air after clearing out another group of the enemy near the gate. "Yeah, he doesn't look too good. Shit. Hurry! That demonic bastard just used a spear on him and it actually penetrated." Tony gulped as he heard Loki howl incoherently over the comm. Energy crackled through the air and the green mist all but solidified. This was not looking good.

… …

Loki gathered his energy and threw it into the counter-spell. They could not be too late, he would not lose his brother, the only member of his so-called family that had never lied to him. The field started to fall, but there were nearly two dozen enemies between him and The Other. He charged forward, swinging the long sword. It clashed against the battleaxe wielded by a Svartálfar, the bastard twisted his weapon and the sword's blade broke. He grimaced and tossed it aside. "Never did like swords," he muttered. Unfortunately his knives were not good for this type of melee and he'd seriously drained himself of magic. "Stark, it's down, get back here!" he called into the comm's mike.

"On my way, Lokes."

Nearly tripping over a grounded Mjölnir, he cursed in several languages. If only he could use the damn thing. He saw The Other raise his spear and bring it down hard again. "No!" he screamed. "Just this once, please," he begged under his breath as he regained his balance and laid a hand on the leather wrapped handle. "I swear, I'll use it only to save Thor and then return it to him." Loki blinked in shock as the hammer moved and he gasped as it lifted. "Thank the gods."

Volstagg was swinging his four bladed war axe and taking down Svartálfar and Chitauri with equal gusto. The corpulent warrior's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when Loki launched himself forward, Mjölnir firmly in hand. "By Odin's beard, Loki!" the man shouted. "What miracle have you wrought?"

Loki ignored him, concentrating on reaching The Other before he brought that spear down in Thor's mid-section yet again. Their foes were falling like so much rotten timber as he struck left and right with his brother's rightful weapon. "You know I'm taking you to Thor, do you not?" he muttered as though the Uru hammer could hear him. He grinned. For all he knew, Odin's magic may have made the thing able to do so. Svartálfar were bursting into flame around him and he grinned as The Other staggered several paces to the side after being hit by one of Barton's explosive arrowheads. Finally, his path was clear and his fallen brother was before him.

"Dark Prince," The Other hissed menacingly. "I did not expect you to live."

Laughing, Loki approached warily. "I do what I want; after all your efforts to control me, to make me your tool, I would have thought you understood that much."

"Perhaps my information was faulty. The meng mein is not your vulnerable point?" the alien continued, lifting the spear as he closed back in on Thor.

"You forgot one thing, fool," Loki baited him in an effort to draw him away from Thor's broken form. "I'm not Æsir."

The Other snarled. "You will still beg for death!"

"Loki," he heard Stark's voice in the ear device. "What do you think will happen if we slam that chump between that hammer and Cap's shield?" He nodded silent agreement, not wanting to alert the enemy to their plan. "Cool deal. I'm on my way in…watch for me."

"I will beg favors from only one being in this life. And you are not that being," he said, smirking. He could see the unmistakable round shield being flown in at full speed, directly toward The Other's back. "I'd offer you the same threat, but there won't be enough left of you to beg for anything." He planted his feet firmly and began the arc that would bring Mjölnir in directly on The Other's midsection. "There won't be enough left of you for your Master to even hazard a guess as to what caused your demise."

"You think an Uru Hammer can finish me? You are a greater fool than I…"

… …

Kara was concentrating on igniting yet another Svartálfar when a tremendous explosion rocked the battlefield. Only Clint's quick grab saved her from a painful tumble off of the cliff side. "What the hell happened?" she gasped as she landed in his lap several feet back from the edge.

"Dunno," Clint said, breathing hard from the exertion. "Loki was swinging Thor's hammer, Stark was flying in with Cap's shield and then the world went crazy."

"Holy crap." She peered through the desolation and blinked as she realized that the gate had closed. "Wait, when did the gate close?"

"Just before the kaboom." He stood up and helped her to her feet. They stared out over the plain. Asgardian warriors were climbing to their feet. The surviving Svartálfar were scrambling to theirs and running like the hounds of hell were after them.

Kara smirked. "Oh dear. I don't think there's any place for them to run."

"Didn't Hogun and Fandral travel to us on the Bifröst?" Clint asked.

"Yes, but it was only partially repaired. Besides, they've got an awful lot of pissed off Æsir between them and it. If they have any brains at all they'll throw down their weapons and beg…oh crap." She hit her comm unit. "Tony, where are you?" Thor was lying motionless on the battlefield and his midsection was a bloody mess.

"Lying flat on my ass, trying to get functional again, that was a hell of a ride," he said.

"Shit. Clint, do you have any of those rappelling arrows? I need to get down there, pronto."

"Yeah, doc, I'm on it." Hawkeye stood near the edge to find a target while changing arrowheads and attaching the rappelling line. "Okay, got a spot." He took the shot and then looked around the ledge. She watched as he wound his end of the line several times around a sturdy rock formation and then tied it off in what looked to her to be some kind of marine knot. He pulled a small device out of the bottom of his quiver and hooked it over the line. "Okay, doc. Arms around my neck, lay against my back, and when I say let go, do it and flex your knees and be prepared to roll so you won't hurt yourself when you land."

"Oh man, I don't like this."

"You don't have to do it, it's your call."

"Yes, I do." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he instructed. Fortunately, Clint wasn't as tall as some of the other Avengers, so he only had to crouch a bit for her to get a firm hold. After testing her grip, he launched himself over the ledge. She held her breath to avoid screaming in his ear as the shock of being midair hit.

"Let go!" he yelled.

Kara loosed her grip and saw the ground approach rapidly. Flexing her knees may have helped, she wasn't sure, but she still hit hard before she rolled. "Oh God, that hurt," she moaned as she rolled to her knees and then staggered to her feet.

… …

Loki lifted his head and groaned. Everything hurt; everything. But, he wasn't dead. He looked up. Thor. No. Staggering to his feet he looked around. "Damnation," he muttered as he realized the impact had sent him flying several hundred meters. Mjölnir was still in his grip, but the hammer would no longer budge. "Fine, you did what was needed. I'll bring Thor to you…if he lives," he managed as his voice broke. A figure in gold shimmering scale armor chased with reds and oranges was picking her way through body parts. Kara. She was making her way to a small cleared area occupied by a prone body. Thor. As he determined everything was in working order, he began to run.

Kara reached his brother first and dropped her gauntlets on the ground and held her hands above Thor's meng mein. "Crap," she said distinctly. "Any Æsir out there, I need a volunteer, I need to do an energy transfer if you want your Prince to live," she yelled. He picked up his half stumbling pace and reached them before most of the warriors sprawled about had managed to climb to their feet.

"You were supposed to stay on the cliff where it was safe," he told her as he dropped to his knees on his brother's other side.

"Your brother wasn't supposed to get his meng mein trashed. And after what you gave up to save him, I wasn't about to sit up there in safety and freaking Let. Him. Die.," she snapped.

"Hmm, you saw that, did you?" Loki shook his head. "Well, I'm here, is this energy transfer thing what you and he did to save me?" She nodded. "Then it seems only right that you use my energy to save him."

"Fine, but lay down, it will hurt like you're being eviscerated," she warned.

"Been there, had that done to me, but no one gave me the tee shirt," he quipped as he stretched out and turned his face toward Thor's. "Hurry, love. His breathing is all but stopped."

"I'm hurrying, I…"

"Doc, what can I do to help?" Barton asked as he dropped down on his knees beside Kara.

"Oh, good. Clint, get your hands in here. See that mess? It's supposed to be all in one piece. Slip your hands around it and hold it together." She frowned at the archer as his face twisted in revulsion. "Yes, I know, totally gross. This is why I didn't go to med school. Suck it up and deal."

"Yeah, sure. It's just a little blood…and guts. Geez, literally guts. Shit, I usually do my killing from a distance, this, damn." The mortal's complexion was turning distinctly gray.

"If you must get sick, Barton, please do your best to turn away from my brother's wounds," he asked drily.

"Don't see you doing this," Barton snapped.

"Hush, both of you. He can't, Clint. Loki is going to be in too much pain in just a second."

The promised pain began as he felt a pull on his energy from the hand she'd laid on his abdomen after shifting to kneel between him and Thor. He hissed as the sharp tearing sensation grew and then exploded into hideous agony. Is this what Thor had endured for him? No wonder his lady had been angry with the way he'd treated his brother. "Is it…helping?" he managed.

"Yes, I can see it starting to knit together, hang in there, just a little bit more," she promised.

He stared at Thor's too still face, willing him to take a deeper breath, to blink, something to show he was no longer so close to death. Finally, his patience was rewarded as his brother moaned. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"I heard it," she told him with a small smile. "And the meng mein is almost…" he heard no more as the pain overwhelmed him.

… …

…"whole again," she told Loki, then frowned. "Loki? Oh crap, he passed out. I was afraid of that."

"Don't look now," Clint murmured. "Here comes daddy dearest."

"Lovely, just when I've got two unconscious Princes of Asgard on my hands. This is not going to endear me to the man."

"Shit, doc. You've saved both their lives, he can just get the fuck over it."

"Get over what, young man?" the imposing one-eyed figure clad in gold armor asked.

"Uh, nothing, sir," Clint managed to say crisply.

She looked the King of Asgard up and down and then glanced at a grim looking dark-skinned man , also armored in gold, standing behind Odin with hands resting on the grip of a huge by any standards sword. The dark bearded man's eyes looked…odd. They were an almost shimmering gold and didn't seem to focus on any one thing, though she had the feeling that he saw not only her but…oh. "Heimdall, I presume?" she asked quietly.

The all-seeing god nodded. "Kara Gunnarssen, known as Hellbringer," he spoke with a voice that sounded like a small earthquake. "Well met."

"Likewise, I'm sure," she said, doing her best not to shake in fear. Kara looked down at the brothers and then up at their father. "They'll be fine, your Majesty," she told him. "Thor is healing quickly now that we've got his meng mein repaired. Loki is just unconscious because he donated energy to heal his brother." She winced. "It's a rather painful process. Thor passed out when he donated energy to save Loki, so we were expecting it."

The king nodded and his lips twitched a bit and his sole visible eye crinkled. "I thank you, healer," he said. "I feared I would lose one or both of them this day."

"It was a near thing, If Loki hadn't taken out that son of a bitch alien when he did, it would have turned out very differently. From his description while he was waiting to be recalled here, I think that was the same one that tortured him."

"Thor told me of the extent of Loki's injuries. Asgard could not have saved him."

"Humph. Then it's a damn good thing he came to Earth when he escaped instead of here."She glared down at the ground, trying to take a firmer hold on her temper, not to mention her tongue. Just seeing these damn people up close was pissing her off.

"So, my lady. Need I fear your wrath while you abide in my realm?" Odin asked.

Oh. Crap. Yep, he hadn't forgotten. "No, I believe my warning applied only if you came to Earth." The damn man started laughing. Oh for pity's sake. Heimdall was chuckling as well. She ground her teeth in frustration at the condescending sound. "I'm still not happy with you, any of you. But it would be a terrible abuse of hospitality for me to do anything about it here," she snapped.

"Kara, must you?" Loki groaned.

She quickly leaned over him and checked his energy levels. "You're almost back to normal, thank God." Looking up at the others she said, "Figure of speech. It's something we're raised saying, it doesn't mean anything."

"Of course not, my lady," Odin said, still smiling.

Loki was shaking his head. "How long was I out?" he asked.

"Only a few minutes. You didn't miss anything."

… …

He snorted. "No, just you doing your best to ruin any chance you might have…" he trailed off and eyed the All-Father. "Never mind." He pushed himself up to a sitting position and turned to look at Thor. "How is he?"

"Improving," Kara told him. She leaned over and pulled the ruined armor away from his brother's abdomen. "Even the muscle and skin are starting to come together a bit. I know you said that's not normal, it's too fast, but I think it's a direct result of the energy transference."

"Likely so," he agreed.

"You're going to have a matching set of scars."

He looked down at his own stomach. "So we are. It matters not. He's alive and I am glad of it. If he had not survived I would have borne the blame for that as well."

"No, Loki," Odin said. "This is not on your head."

"Tell that to the tribunal, All-Father," he spat. "It is all my fault and you know it. Had I never been thrown…" His eyes closed as he remembered what Kara had told him. "If I had never…fallen into the Void, none of this would ever have happened. There is no one else _to_ blame." He glanced sharply at Kara who was frowning fiercely. "Do not start, love," he said, hoping to forestall a rant about the treatment he'd received from his 'family'. "Please." He let out a relieved huff as she subsided.

He looked up again as Odin took a knee beside them. "I think there is much blame to go around and many to whom it should spread. But for now, we will see to our wounded, and find a way to thank your friends for their timely assistance, hmm?"

"Yes, my liege," he managed tiredly.

… …

Tony trudged toward the gold-armored figures in the middle of the battlefield. His power levels were down to fifteen percent so he'd flipped up his face plate and shut down all systems not involved with walking and was making his way on foot. With the damage Thor had taken, he seriously doubted he'd get juiced up that way. "Hey, Fandral, what's shaking?" he asked as the dandified Asgardian…oops, Æsir, looked at him as he stopped beside him and Hogun…and the Amazonian beauty.

"The ground has stopped shaking, Stark," he said, sounding confused.

"Heh, yeah. Sure as hell didn't expect that. Though I guess I should have. Last time that hammer hit Cap's shield the concussive wave took out a good part of a forest. Oh well, all the better to kill homicidal demonic things with. So, you going to introduce me to your friend?" he said, nodding toward the woman.

Fandral frowned. "Oh, of course, my apologies." He turned to the black-haired beauty. "Lady Sif, may I present Tony Stark, the Man of Iron, one of the Avengers and a good friend of Thor." Turning back to him, Fandral continued. "Tony Stark, may I present one of Asgard's finest warriors, the Lady Sif."

"Charmed, totally," Tony said, holding out an armored hand. The woman looked at it like it was something disgusting. He decided to blame it on cultural differences. "Uh, in my world, when two people who are allies meet for the first time, they touch hands to show they are allies and not enemies," he told her.

"I know the custom," she said. "However, the intent is for the hand to be empty of weapons. You have used that armor as a weapon to great effect."

He winced. "Right. Sorry. It's a total pain in the…uh, it's really difficult to get on and off when the suit's power levels are so low. I'll take a rain check on that, 'kay?" She frowned at him. "Ah, never mind. Modern colloquialism. I'll just go check on Thor and Loki." He sighed and continued on to the center of the battlefield.

"Stark!" he heard a voice call. "Tony!" He stopped and saw Cap coming through the mess on the ground using some kind of kinky looking crutches. His leg was strapped into some kind of leather-look cast. Interesting.

"Very good look for you, gimpy," he teased. "I knew you were a BDSM kind of guy."

"BD what?" Steve asked.

"Heh, never mind. I take it you've had the leg worked on."

"Yes, Loki's mom and one of the other healers came for me. The bone's set and everything, I just need to keep my weight off of it for a few days."

"Not too shabby. I was heading over to see if Thor made it. Or Loki for that matter, he went flying when the irresistible force met your immovable object."

"Huh?"

Tony sighed. "When your shield hit Thor's hammer with the bad guy in between."

"Oh. Right. That must have been a mess."

Holding up the gore and slime stained shield, Tony nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. I scraped off the worst of it, but, well, didn't have much to work with."

Steve paled. "Wow, that's…that's gory." He shrugged. "Good to know I could still help a bit, even while I was down and out."

"That's the spirit. Let's go find our team."

… …

**Author's Note:** I'm going to try to get in one more chapter before Monday, but no promises. It's the start of a new semester at the college I'm on staff with and I work a lot of overtime the first week or so. If I can't get a new chapter in by Sunday night, it will likely be a week before I can pick this up again. Apologies in advance!

Thanks again for all of your kind comments/reviews and messages. While I don't have enough time between work and my family to respond to reviews unless you hit on something extremely important, I do respond promptly to all PMs.


	30. Chapter 30

Odin wanted to smile at the way Loki looked at his lady, though his adopted son's words quashed the impulse. Loki was right; the tribunal would look to put the blame for all of this on the boy's head. Certainly, Loki had made mistakes; but so had he. The way Loki spoke to this woman, this mortal, as they chatted casually while waiting for assistance to return Thor to the Valhöll, warmed his tired old heart. His son's tone showed not only that he was enamored with the girl, but that he held her in deepest respect. Heimdall had mistaken nothing. And the girl…she was stubborn, courageous, powerful, and perhaps just what one so wild and willful as Loki needed. "Is it wise to move him, my lady?" he asked as the healer's assistants approached with a sling to carry his older son.

She frowned. "Well, he doesn't have any broken bones, and the main internal damage is all but fully healed. If we patch up the abdominal area it should be fine." Odin hid another smile. Loki had taken the girl's free hand and was holding it between both of his.

"I'd prefer to examine him myself if you do not mind."

He rose to greet his Queen. "Frigga, my love. Thor is doing well thanks to Loki and his lady, Kara. But do reassure yourself so that you may cease fretting." She accepted his hand as she dipped gracefully to her knees next to Thor. "My dear, this is Kara Gunnarssen, known as Hellbringer, a doctor of the mind on Midgard. She is also an extraordinary energy healer and has now saved both our sons' lives. Lady Kara, this beauteous lady is Frigga, my wife and queen."

"It's very nice to meet you, your Majesty," the fire-haired mortal said. "Loki speaks very highly of you."

Oh, well played, Odin thought as Frigga's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, sweet girl. I'm afraid that I have had almost no time with him since his return. He did mention that he owed everything to you, but has not had the opportunity to say much else."

"I have been out in the field almost constantly, searching for the artifact that was brought here, apparently by the Svartálfar," Loki defended himself. The boy sighed. "I failed to find it or them in time, as you can see," he continued, sounding quite disgusted.

The mortal glared at him. "Stop that right now. No one else found them either." Odin bit the inside of his cheek in appreciation of her words. He was right; the girl _was_ good for Loki.

"Hey, Lokes, old buddy. Look who I found," a brash voice interrupted. They all looked up to see the red and gold heavily armored mortal stroll up, accompanied by the blue-clad mortal, now on crutches, as well as Sif and the Warriors Three.

… …

"How's Thor doing?" Tony continued as several strong looking guys wearing what he'd been told were 'healers tunics' shooed everyone to their feet and away from the blonde, motionless form.

"A lot better than Loki was when we got him back from that…that thing," Kara said. "This time the bastard went directly for the meng mein, didn't bother with anything else."

"How did the enemy know to do this?" Sif asked in a suspicious tone. "Did you tell the enemy all of our secrets?" she directed to Loki.

"I told them nothing that was true," Loki snarled. "But believe what you want. You will anyway." He shook off Kara's hand and stalked after Frigga and the men who had lifted Thor and were carrying him to the Valhöll. "All-Father, I shall be watching over Thor with mother should you require my presence," he called over his shoulder.

"I don't know who the _hell_ you think you are," Kara said to the Amazon-like warrior. "But you've managed to add yourself to the list of people here who have totally pissed me off."

"And that should frighten me, mortal?" Sif asked.

"Sif," Odin began in a hard tone.

"Um, yeah, it should," Tony interjected. "Do you maybe recall enemies turning into fireballs and then piles of ash between you and that freaky gate? That was her doing. No tech, no nothing…just _her_."

"Lady Kara is also the one we spoke of, Sif. The one who can make you feel anything she chooses," Fandral said.

"Guys, thank you, but I can chew her a new one without any help. Look, Sif? Is that your name? That demonic looking bastard knew where to hurt Thor because he tortured Loki for a week. Yeah, it took him a week to figure out how to hurt Loki in a way he couldn't heal. Loki didn't tell them anything; they discovered it by trial and error. He came to us with almost every bone in his body not just broken but shattered. He was bleeding out, internally and from open wounds. Most of his organs were barely functional and his lungs were so full of blood he was literally drowning in it."

Tony winced, glad that Loki's mom had gone with him and Thor. "I-I had no idea," Sif muttered.

"No, you didn't. But you had to go accuse Loki anyway, without getting the facts. That's not just stupid, it's criminally stupid, not to mention cruel." Tony bit his lip as Kara fisted her hands and then folded her arms across her chest in an effort to rein in her temper. "Another thing," his honorary sister said. "Never, ever piss off a redhead. I don't know what it's like in Asgard, but in my world redheads tend to have a hell of a temper. And this redhead, if she were so inclined, can make you regret it."

"Kara, you probably should calm down before you…ah shit," Tony said as he saw blood starting to drip from her left nostril. "How's your head feel?"

She started wobbling and took a step before she collapsed. Barton caught her before she hit the ground. "Damn it, Stark. It's never made her pass out before."

"What is wrong with her?" Odin asked.

"The containment device that we used to get Loki back here after the invasion on our world, it, well, it has side effects. Loki was able to heal the damage just fine, but Kara, not so much. It's destroying her nervous system. Usually there aren't any symptoms, but when she's restraining herself from using her pyrokinetic abilities on _someone_," he said, giving Sif a hard look, "that energy rebounds and gives her a killer pain in her head and a nosebleed that doesn't want to quit. This loss of consciousness, though, that's new, and it's not a good sign." Tony sighed. "I guess this is something your all-seeing guy missed."

"I missed nothing," a dark man with creepy gold eyes rumbled. "Loki wished Thor to speak to Odin about it; it was not my place to interfere."

"Oh, hey, Heimdall; thanks for passing on our messages." Tony grinned at the guy's stony look. "So, are you something like the anti-Claus? You always know who's naughty and nice, but you don't do anything either way?" Heimdall's frown grew deeper, if that was possible. "No? Okay." He looked back at Odin who was imperiously summoning a passing woman dressed in the healers' colors.

"Eir, this woman needs your attention. We owe her much, take good care of her," Odin ordered.

"I don't know if your people can do anything for her. Kara's a damn fine healer, but her techniques had absolutely no effect on this at all. Our conventional medical experts couldn't even figure out why it was happening, let alone how to stop it."

Eir smiled gently. "Our ways are not yours. We shall do what we can." More assistants with a stretcher hurried over to them. Tony wasn't sure when they'd been called, the way things went here, they could have been summoned mentally and it wouldn't surprise him. Eir turned to Hawkeye. "Let them take her to the healing chambers, good sir."

Hawk eased Kara down on the stretcher. "Sure, no problem."

Tony frowned at Odin as Kara was carried off. "So that's it, it's that easy, you'll help her?"

Odin's sole visible eyebrow rose. "Before this day even began, I owed her my son's life. Now I owe her the lives of both my sons, of course she will have whatever help we can give. How could you believe aught else?"

… …

Sif trudged back to the Valhöll. Odin was angry with her, the Warriors Three were shooting her disgusted looks, and Thor and Loki's mortal friends looked at her as though she had lain with a bilgesnipe. How was she to have known that Loki was not to blame? He had been the cause of every other unimaginably horrible thing that had happened in her life, except, perhaps, for their foolish trip to Jötunheim. That had been Thor's fault. She sighed. "I suppose I should not have accused him," she muttered.

Only Hogun turned to her. "Silence would have been preferred," was all he said.

"I was worried about Thor. That thing could have killed him," she sputtered.

"Loki saved his life," Volstagg said from behind them. "Even Mjölnir found him worthy."

"What?" They all said as they turned to look at Volstagg in shock.

Their big friend shrugged. "Loki was able to take up Mjölnir and used it to defeat the enemies that surrounded Thor. Then he used it to destroy the one who had wounded our friend so gravely."

"That-that's not possible," Sif found herself sputtering. "Mjölnir can only be wielded by one who is worthy…"

"Tis true. I was most surprised as well, but it was no trick, no illusion. I, myself had just fallen over Thor's hammer mere seconds before Loki took it up. It did not budge for me," Volstagg insisted.

"Then why did he not still have it? Why did he not show proof of his worthiness to the All-Father?" she asked.

They all stared at each other, no doubt wondering the same thing. "Purity of intent," Hogun finally offered.

"Yes," Fandral agreed, then elaborated on Hogun's succinct statement as he was wont to do. "Loki was perhaps so focused on saving Thor that in his intent he was worthy, yet once that goal had been attained, his normal mischievous nature cost him the weapon's favor."

"That," she said, "makes perfect sense."

… …

"Your lady is quite beauteous, my son," Frigga said as he caught up with her. "What are your intentions?"

Loki frowned, not knowing how to answer. While a casual lie would have sufficed for anyone else, he did try to avoid outright falsehoods with the woman who had raised him as her own and had always shown him equal favor with Thor. "I cannot truly have any intentions, mother," he finally responded. "Until I know how I will fare with the tribunal, it would be pointless."

She smiled gently. "Well then, if you had not that concern, what would you with this…Hellbringer? And what name is that for a woman with powers reminiscent of the demons of Muspelheim? Hel has no power over fire."

"Ah, well, most Midgardian religious beliefs describe their hell as being a place of fire where the souls of the damned will forever burn in great torment."

"Hmm, I see. How odd they are." She lifted a shoulder dismissively. "And will you not answer the other question?"

Damnation. Frigga never did distract easily. "She is mortal, mother. Even if she lives a full mortal life, she will be dust in less than a century, and ancient in half that. I…hesitate to torture myself by imagining I could be happy with this."

She stopped and put her hand on his chest when he would have continued on. "No more evasions, Loki. Be direct. Do you love this woman enough, that if there were no other considerations you would take her to wife?"

He looked down into eyes that showed both her love and concern for him. His own eyes drifted shut. "Yes."

… …

Frigga smiled as she directed the litter-bearers to take Thor directly to his chambers. Loki's lady had spoken true; all Thor needed was time to rest and heal fully. There were many other injured who needed direct attention and having her son recover in his rooms would make space for those in more dire straits. "How did she win your heart, my son?" she asked Loki, now that she was certain that he was serious about the mortal.

"If I knew that, it would not have happened," he claimed in a dry voice. "Think you that I wanted to torture myself this way?"

She laughed as his aggrieved expression. "Oh, Loki. No one ever goes looking for love. I certainly never expected nor sought to win your father's." He grimaced and opened his mouth to speak, but she would have none of that and cut him off. "Do not insult me by telling me that Odin is not your father, for that would mean that I am not your mother," she warned. His shocked look told her volumes. "Never considered that, did you, my sweet boy?"

"No," he said, sounding honestly abashed. "I suppose I did not." Loki shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You are sounding much like Kara."

"Then she shows great sense." She watched as the litter-bearers moved Thor onto his bed and then dismissed them with a gesture and nod of thanks. Leaning over her still unconscious elder son, she checked under the bindings to see that his wound had not been disturbed. "I have noticed you now claim your brother," she said. "It pleases me greatly."

"He did not know of the lie Odin told, I could not continue to blame him." Loki snuck a look at her from under his lashes as his lips twitched again. "And yes, that was pointed out to me, quite adamantly, by Kara." The tiny smile faded. "Did you know?"

Frigga sighed. She knew this question would come one day. "Odin never told me that he was not your blood father. He let everyone assume that you were his by another woman, just like Thor. He did, however, tell me of your Jötunn blood; he could not avoid doing that as you changed back and forth a good bit as an infant." She shrugged. "I suspected that you were not his son by blood, but I was so pleased to have another baby to raise, I did not demand the truth."

"I was a pawn, mother. Nothing more. And now I have outlived my usefulness."

"Oh, Loki, my beautiful son. You were and are so much more than that, even to Odin, I swear."

… …

An unfamiliar Asgardian smiled as Kara blinked and groaned at the pain throbbing in her temples. "Ah, you are back with us, Lady Kara," she said. "Your head still pains you, I am certain. Let's sit you up so that you may drink this to give it ease."

"What is it?" she asked, still groggy. "And, I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"I am Eir, Asgard's first healer. This," she said, holding up a cup containing a murky liquid, "is an herbal remedy for your ailment."

Hmm, Asgard's version of Tylenol. Okay. "Right, fine…um, thank you," Kara muttered as the deceptively strong woman lifted her up to a sitting position and held the cup out. Taking it, she took a healthy swig and barely managed to swallow it. "Oh, that is nasty."

Eir had the nerve to giggle. "Yes, it is, I'm afraid. Please, drink it all down. I promise you will be troubled by this pain no more."

Sighing, Kara gave the stuff a dubious look but obediently gulped it all down. She shuddered at the foul taste and held out the cup for Eir to take away. As the woman set down the cup, Kara's vision began to fade in and out. "Um, am I supposed to be getting dizzy?" she mumbled.

"Yes, my lady, you are. Worry not, it…"

… …

"Worry not; it will pass after you sleep a bit." Eir frowned as she realized that the mortal had fainted before she had finished her reassurance. "Ah, well, child. By the time you wake up you will no longer need the explanation, hmm?" She laid the woman back down on the bed carefully and turned to the Æsir healer who would be watching over their charge. "Be careful with this one, Bothildr. The All-Father owes her a great debt."

"I will, my lady. Who shall I send to when she awakens?"

Eir considered the question. "Best call for me. I will check with Odin to see if he wishes else." Satisfied that the mortal was in good hands for the remainder of her healing, she moved on to those of the Æsir with critical injuries who required the personal attention of their goddess of Healing.

… …

Tony smirked as he watched Hawkeye prowl around the set of rooms they'd been shown to. "No place to build a nest?" he cracked.

"Whole place is a nest," Clint said as he stepped out onto the balcony. "We're higher off of the valley floor than the top of Avengers' Tower is off of the street."

"Seriously?" He strode out to the balcony and looked over. "Holy shit. This place is built on the edge of a goddamn cliff on this side." Staring out at the spectacular vista he added, "You couldn't touch a view like this in the U.S. for under twenty million…and that would be for less than an acre, undeveloped." Tony shrugged as the other two stared at him. "What? I've been looking for a private getaway."

Steve shook his head from the chaise where he'd settled down, his still immobilized leg stretched out before him. "You're unbelievable."

"Hey, my spending money helps the economy. If I just sat on it, that would be a problem, but no, I spend it, people work to earn it, they get the money to spend, and the world goes around." Clint huffed and rolled his eyes. "Aaaaand, I pay my employees premium wages and great benefits. Keeps them happy, makes them innovative and productive, which makes me more money to start the whole cycle all over again."

"I didn't say anything," Clint told him.

"Whatever. I wish they'd have let us go see how Kara is doing."

"Well, Odin did say he'd send word," Steve pointed out.

"Fine, when?"

"When what?" They all turned to the doorway where Loki stood frowning at them. "Where is Kara?" he asked.

"Uh, she had a headache so the healers took her off to give her something for it." Tony didn't elaborate. Odin had asked them not to mention their conversation about Kara's condition to Loki. He kind of liked the idea of keeping a secret from the god of Mischief and Lies, and the others hadn't argued.

"She overtaxed herself, no doubt," Loki murmured. "The evening meal is being served shortly, but tonight it is an informal affair. I've taken the liberty to have food sent here for all of you. If you'd prefer to not have my company…"

"No, no, that's fine," Tony told him hurriedly. "More the merrier." He bit back a grin as the tension left Loki's face. Yep, he'd thought he would be rejected. "Besides," he said with a wink to let the god know he was teasing, "we'll need you to tell us what we're eating and drinking. I kind of doubt they're going to explain anything to us."

"Hmm, true." Loki smirked back at him. "Of course, you'll have to trust me to tell you the truth."

Clint groaned. "You said that just to make us wonder, didn't you?"

"Very good, Barton." Loki shrugged. "I've got to have some fun around here."

"How's Thor doing?" Steve asked.

"He's awake and bathing. He'll be joining us shortly. Mother wanted to fuss over him a bit more, but he'd have none of it. I finally convinced her that she'll have the opportunity to do so after he's eaten." Loki wandered around the spacious room, his hands clasped behind his back. "I spoke to Odin about your armor's power levels, Tony. He has a safer proposition than having Thor strike you with lightning to recharge it. He'll have someone discuss that with you in the morning."

"Cool…uh, awesome," Tony corrected himself hurriedly, earning an amused smile.

"It's all right. You've explained the reference, I won't take offense." Loki gave him a sidelong glance. "And if you continue to be more sensitive with the, um, snark, I might be persuaded to tell you how to get around that programming loop."

"Gee, thanks so much," Tony groused.

… …

Frigga smiled as her younger son's beloved opened her eyes. "Feeling better, dear?" she asked.

The young woman frowned slightly and then smiled in return. "Yes, actually. I-I feel great. No more headache."

"Good. Walk with me and I'll take you to your companions." She waited patiently as the mortal got up off of the bed and then stretched. Her expression as she realized she was no longer wearing the scaled armor was priceless. "Something wrong?"

"Um, what happened to my armor?"

"I had the healers remove it and send it to be cleaned. It will be delivered to you in the morning. Are you hungry? You slept for several hours."

"Starving."

"Well, then let us go have a bite to eat." She motioned for the girl to follow and left the healers' domain. "Tell me, Kara," she asked after they'd gone a good distance from the avidly curious healers. "Do you love my son?"

"Loki, you mean?" The girl sighed at her nod. "Kind of foolish of me, but…yes, I do. Very much."

"Why do you say it's foolish, dear?"

She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. He's a virtually immortal Norse god, and I'm a human mutant who's most definitely mortal. Not exactly…I don't know. It's heartache waiting to happen." She snorted indelicately. "That's already happened. When Thor came for him I seriously expected that I'd never see him again."

Frigga bit her bottom lip as she noticed the brightening of the girl's eyes. "And your eventual return to Midgard without him will break your heart yet again, hmm?"

"Yes."

"Despite all he's done to your world, you still love him?"

"I-I've got very strong opinions on what was behind all of it. You probably don't want to hear them since, well…"

"They're quite critical of the All-Father?" Frigga finished for her and then laughed as the girl blushed. "Oh, Kara, don't be concerned. I am not always happy with the decisions Odin has made, though I love him dearly."

Kara nodded. "Did…well, I'm sure he passed on the message, but did-will, oh, I don't know how to put this," she said, sounding frustrated.

"Which message, dear?"

"We have evidence that Loki wasn't really responsible for the attacks on our world, and that he tried to prevent it."

Frigga nodded. "Yes, we were told. Let's talk more about that over a meal for you before you join your friends."

… …

Thor stretched as he approached the guest chambers his friends had been assigned. His back still ached, and the new scars on his belly itched prodigiously, but otherwise he felt well. He frowned as his stomach growled and decided he'd feel a great deal better once he'd eaten. Pushing the door open, he heard Tony Stark arguing with Loki. It saddened him for a moment until he realized it was not truly an argument, but a good natured debate. That realization was confirmed when he heard Captain Rogers chuckle quietly at the byplay. "Good eve, my friends," he greeted them as he turned the corner into the sitting area that had been set with a table and chairs.

"Sleeping Beauty, about time you got your butt out of bed," Stark returned. "Come on over here and settle a bet."

"On what have you wagered and with whom, man of…" he hesitated as he recalled how that form of address made his friends react. "Ah, Tony."

'Tony' grinned. "Loki and I disagree on the likely outcome of a war between a non-tech but highly magical society such as Asgard and a non-magical but highly technical society such as Earth."

"Wagering against my brother is a foolish proposition. And the answer to this is simple, Midgard would lose."

Loki nodded agreement. "Tony disagrees, as does Ca…Steve. Barton is undecided."

"Well, cannot your magic disrupt technology on a mass level, brother?"

Tony stared at them. "Wait, it can? I didn't know that."

"Yes, it can. I could not use that during the attack here as the Chitauri use a combination of magic and technology. But against a purely technological-driven war effort such as Midgard's, yes, it would be quite effective."

The inventor's eyes narrowed. "Then you could have just shut us down in New York."

Loki shrugged. "It would have had a limited effect on the Chitauri as well."

"Limited, but could they have worked around it?" Tony asked.

Thor looked at Loki who was silently examining the food on his plate. "Brother? Do you not answer the question?"

Loki sighed. "I did not give them that opportunity," he muttered before taking a large bite of the roasted suckling pig.

"You mean they didn't discover you could do it, so you didn't have to give them that advantage," Barton said. "They couldn't read your mind the way you could read mine."

Thor watched his brother give the Hawkeye a sharp look. "I am a _god_," he hissed. "No one controls me." He stood and turned toward the door.

"Loki, stop. Tell me what they imply," Thor asked.

"Nothing, they are fools, brother," he insisted and strode out of the room.

Thor frowned and sat down at the table and began filling a plate. "What have you discovered?" he asked the others.

… …

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the delay, folks. Long week of overtime made writing in the evenings impossible. I'm hard at work on Chapter 31, hopefully that will be up in a shorter period of time. Thanks so much for the lovely reviews and guesses on what might happen. I think most of you will be surprised, pleasantly!


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Warning:** If you're avoiding the smexy, read about 6/8ths through. Once it starts it's smexy until the end.

... ...

Loki extended a tendril of power to slam open the doors to his chambers and then close them after he'd passed through. He walked straight through to the balcony and held on to the rail as he stared blindly out into the night. How dare they imply he was a tool of the Chitauri and their masters. He made his own destiny, he…he shuddered at the memories of being trapped into taking actions he abhorred. No, the Other and the Mad Titan had not controlled his mind, but they could see and hear through him and knew his actions and words. Even the knowledge that they could do that much was humiliating. They could also deliver excruciating pain…pain that could continue for untold stretches of time while doing him no physical harm. "One is down," he reassured himself. "Still one to go."

The sound of his doors opening gently caught his attention. He turned to see Frigga ushering a slighter redheaded figure into his chambers. "We've left a change of clothing in here for you, dear," Frigga told his lady. "I imagine you'll wish to bathe before you see your friends."

Loki frowned, wondering what had taken them so long to get Kara a simple remedy for her headache. "Mother? Kara? Where have you been?"

Frigga smiled. "Oh, Loki, I thought you'd still be with your friends from Midgard."

"I-no, it became…" he trailed off, unable to tell his mother that he'd probably destroyed any chance of future acceptance by them. Frigga had been overjoyed when Thor had told her of the kindness they had shown him upon his departure.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked.

Of course, he thought. She could likely feel his discouragement. "It's nothing, my lady. How is your head feeling? You overdid it today, did you not?"

She frowned at him. "Nice change of subject. And no, I was fine until another one of your idiot brother's friends pissed me off." She turned to Frigga as her cheeks flushed. "Um, sorry. Thor isn't really an idiot, but his friends, well, they are very close-minded and it just makes me angry."

"It's quite all right, Kara. I understand. My eldest is not always the most understanding or tactful of men and I much doubt his friends here are any better. Though I have liked what I have seen and heard about his friends on Midgard. They seem fine people."

Kara snickered. "Hmm. Well, the three he met when he was banished are okay. But the Avengers? One is an egotistical flamboyant genius. Another is a holier than thou soldier, yet another has really horrendous anger-management issues, the other two are, well, assassins. And then there's me. I'm not too sure he's made great choices on our world either."

"He's fortunate to count you as a friend, Kara," Loki insisted. He shrugged. "And despite their issues, I-I will admit the others are, at least, no less worthy than any other friends he has made."

"Wow, you're in a generous mood," she teased and stepped in close. He looked at her and then up at Frigga. His mother had lifted one eyebrow and her expression seemed to be saying 'well?'. He wrapped his arms around Kara and hugged her close. "Perhaps I am. Regardless, Sif has ample reason to distrust me. Don't hate her on my account."

His mother smiled, and turned back to the door. "I'd best be going. After Kara has her bath, my son, perhaps you can take her to reassure your friends before the two of you retire. I'm certain they are anxious to know she is much recovered."

Loki stared at her. Apparently Frigga fully expected Kara to be staying the night with him and…approved? "I will, mother. Thank you and good night."

"Good night, Loki, Kara. Sleep well."

… …

Wow. Apparently Loki's mom approved of them sleeping together. Unless Loki had more than one bed in here. "Um, did she just, um…"

He smirked briefly and then kissed the edge of her mouth. "She did."

"Well, okay, then." She frowned up at him. "So what happened with the guys?"

"They make…assumptions as to my actions."

"So, they nailed something you'd rather they hadn't," she guessed.

Loki glowered at her, confirming it. "It does not matter. Are you ready for a bath, or do you need to eat first?"

"I had dinner with your mother. We had a lovely chat." Kara grinned as he groaned. "Don't worry, she didn't share embarrassing young Loki stories. She was a lot more interested in what I do and what's going on with S.H.I.E.L.D. versus the Avengers and such."

"What is going on?" he asked.

"We all resigned. Tony and Pepper set us up as a non-profit organization, and we're contracting our services to S.H.I.E.L.D. and friendly governments for non-emergency tasks. For emergencies, we'll do whatever we can without worrying about who is paying for it. Stark Industries Legal department is working on getting liability waivers from, well, pretty much every government in the world and the United Nations. S.H.I.E.L.D. has already signed theirs and the U.N. is scheduled to vote on it shortly."

"Good. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council had unpleasant plans for you."

"Yeah, we read the files you…or, should I say, some mysterious hacker provided to us." Kara wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face in his neck. "I missed you so much."

"And I you," he admitted. "Kara, you do know that once the tribunal meets…"

"Yes, I know. And they'll be sending us all back to Earth just as soon as they can manage it. I really don't want to think about that right now. Can you please just let me hold on to the illusion that I'm not going to lose you again? At least for tonight, okay?"

"Very well, love. We have tonight."

… …

"Who the hell is this and what is she doing here?" Nick Fury grated as he burst into the new laboratory in Avenger's tower where they'd moved Foster and Selvig's equipment once the artifact had been removed from Earth. He glared at the perky blonde who was holding an animated conversation with Darcy Lewis. She looked up at him and stood.

"Beth Anderson. I'm with them," she said, pointing at Banner, Romanov and Pepper Potts.

"She's signed all of the confidentiality agreements, Nick," Pepper said as she came over to them. "Beth was a big help with Kara earlier, she's going to start her internship this spring at NYP, with a goal of specializing in trauma care."

Darcy snickered quietly. That couldn't be a good sign. "Miss Lewis, you had a comment?" Nick asked before he had second thoughts.

The dark haired and totally irreverent girl shrugged. "She's also Cap's main squeeze. They're really cute together."

Nick closed his eye and rubbed his forehead. He had to ask, he'd have thought he knew better by this point, but apparently not. "Fine. Don't. Touch. Anything," he ordered and strode to where doctors Foster, Selvig and Banner were examining readings. "What's happening?" he asked them.

Jane Foster looked up with a frown. "The wormhole feedback was abruptly cut off. We're not getting any more anomalous readings."

"Which likely means they were successful in closing the gate in Asgard," Erik Selvig interpreted helpfully. "It appears Loki was telling the truth. Otherwise the gate would still be open I would think."

"Wonderful. Now how do we get our people back?"

The two scientists shrugged and looked highly uncomfortable. "We don't," Jane said quietly. "At least not until and if someone on Asgard brings them back."

He looked over his shoulder at Pepper and the other women. "Have you told them this?"

Bruce Banner spoke up. "Pepper is aware of it, she's already contacted Stark Industries and had them release the General Power of Attorney that Tony set up giving her full control over the company. She also has the same for the Avengers interests. Beth guessed. She looks like a stereotypical dumb blonde, but she's really sharp."

"Saves breaking bad news." He frowned as Pepper joined them.

"I've sent a copy of Beth's paperwork to your inbox. I imagine you want to review it personally," she said with that irritating and somewhat smug smile she used to keep Stark in line.

"Fine." He pulled out a data pad and established the connection to his inbox. Opening the lengthy document he skimmed through it, stopping in surprise when he came across the name. "No, that…damn." He did a quick search and confirmed the connection. Bethany Margaret Carter Anderson was named for her great aunt, British expatriate and U.S. Army General Margaret Carter, Steve Rogers' handler during World War II. Her grandfather, George Carter, a British Member of Parliament had been Peggy's brother, and his daughter had married American Dennis Anderson, a decorated member of the U.S. Marines who had signed on with the Secret Service after serving in Vietnam. Nick sighed.

"Something wrong?" Banner asked.

"I hate coincidences," he said, and showed the search results to the scientist.

"Oh boy. I don't think Steve has any idea." He frowned. "For that matter, I don't think Beth does either, though she did mention that her entire family thought Captain America was the greatest hero ever."

"Very few people knew that Rogers and Carter had an emotional attachment. He was lost before they ever had a chance to act on it."

"Oh boy."

… …

"Hey, Bruce," Darcy called out. "Pepper thinks we should all head back upstairs. Now that the equipment is all hooked into the central system Jarvis can monitor it and let us know if there's any changes. Natasha's down with heading up, what do you say?"

He shrugged. "There isn't anything we can do here. I don't see why not. Nick, you going to hang?"

"No, thank you. Unlike some people I have work to do even when we are not in the middle of a crisis."

"Hmm, touchy, are we?"

"Don't start, doctor. You'd be on a constant rampage if you attempted to do my job."

Bruce smiled. "No doubt. I'll wish you a quiet evening, then." He watched as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director nodded and headed for the elevator.

"So, what do you think? Movies to take everyone's mind off of things?" Darcy asked as she plastered herself up against his side.

He tried not to sigh. His attempts at discouraging her had been a waste of time. Not that he wanted to discourage her. For all her flightiness she was really very bright and her flippant attitude was kind of fun. But she was at least fifteen years younger and he didn't want to think about what kind of danger he could be to her if his other suddenly took control. "Okay. But we'll have to go with non-romantic comedy. Otherwise we're going to have three women crying outright and a fourth trying to convince us that she'd never cry under any circumstance whatsoever."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Gotcha. Stark's got a stash and a half. I'll give Jarvis the parameters and have him give us a good assortment to choose from. Beth and I can get the popcorn and drinks going. Erik says he's going to go read, he's got a pile of technical journals he needs to catch up on so you'll be the only rooster in the hen house."

Oh joy. "Hmm, maybe I should go to the lab, I've got work to do."

"Oh no you don't, buster. You're not leaving me alone with them. I'm going to need someone to help keep the conversation on safe topics, got it?"

Great. He couldn't hold up his end of a conversation under the best of circumstances. "I suppose," he finally conceded. If he didn't, Darcy would no doubt follow him to his lab and then he wouldn't have the insulation provided by the other women. She was really determined and, if he let himself think about it, very attractive. He was doing his utmost to not think about it. The last thing he needed was to find out the hard way how sexual need affected the other guy.

… …

Steve looked up as their door opened. Kara walked in clothed in some kind of funny looking dress similar to what Queen Frigga had been wearing. He had to admit, it looked good on her. The dark green was a nice contrast to her bright hair. Loki entered behind her and glowered at them. "Hey, doc, how are you feeling?" he asked, reminding himself not to mention the extent of the treatment she'd received since it was supposed to be a big secret from Thor, Kara and Loki.

"Much better, Steve. Thank you. How's the leg?"

"Good. It barely even hurts. They said I could lose the brace tomorrow if I promised to take it easy."

"You'd better listen, too." She grinned at him. "When we get home, Beth can play doctor with you."

He blushed furiously as the others laughed. "She doesn't have to play anything," he muttered. "She's going to be a doctor soon."

"I know, I'm just giving you a hard time because you called me doc again. If we're going to have five doctors around the place, that's going to get really confusing."

"Yeah, okay, uh, Kara. I'll try to remember."

"Thank you, Steve." She turned to Thor. "And how are you doing?"

"Very well indeed, Lady Kara," he boomed. "Just a good bit of itching here," he said as he pressed a hand to his solar plexus.

"Glad to hear it. Loki got to experience the joy of donating meng mein energy. He lasted a few minutes longer than you did."

Loki gave his brother a smug grin. "I've always had greater…stamina than Thor."

Steve frowned. He knew that was a double entendre just from Loki's tone, but…oh. He closed his eyes and tried to fight down the blush. "Seriously?" he muttered. "Do you always have to twist everything, um,_ that_ way?"

"I'm certain I have no idea what you mean, Steven," Loki claimed. Steve could hear the smirk in his voice, he didn't have to look at him to see it.

"Yeah, right." He tried not to sigh. Stark and Barton were wearing ear to ear grins at his expense. "What were our losses?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Silence reigned. When he looked up at Loki and Thor their identical expressions of grief shook him. Loki cared every bit as much about the people of this place as Thor did.

"Far too high," the younger prince whispered. "Twenty-five Æsir dead, hundreds injured. Nearly a hundred citizens who were not Æsir dead, another hundred and fifty injured, many gravely. If I had found the damned artifact before they'd managed to get it in place…"

"That's a lot less death and injury than we had on Earth," Clint offered.

"Æsir are, for all intents and purposes **_immortal_**, Barton. It is not the same thing at all. And there are perhaps ten thousand or so of us-them, all told, not billions as there are of you humans. It is an immeasurable tragedy for which I am responsible." Steve tried not to stare as Loki folded his arms across his chest and stared at the ground. The god looked miserable and Steve felt for him.

"Loki, it isn't your fault," Kara said as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Then whose fault is it? Had I not fallen into the Void, they would not have known where to look for the power they sought. Even had I died before they recovered me, they still would have smelled its magic upon my body and would have traced it back."

Thor had reached Loki's side and he embraced his brother from behind. "Brother, if that is the case then it is all of Asgard's fault as we drove you to that point with our careless treatment of you. You will not face the tribunal alone for this, I will proudly stand beside you and claim my share of the responsibility for what has befallen us."

"Um, Thor?" Tony asked. "Do you think they'll hold this thing after they see about getting my suit recharged?"

"I do not know, Tony, yet I believe so. I have been told the Tribunal will convene in the afternoon."

"Good." Tony looked at him and Clint. "Guys, I'm not going to speak for the two of you, but, well, the only way they're going to blame Loki for this shit is over my dead body."

"Considering what we know now," Clint agreed, "I'm up for it. How about you, Cap?"

It was days like this that Steve was proud to be Captain America and a member of the Avengers. "It would be an injustice to do anything less. And I should be out of this brace by then. I'm with you."

Loki shook his head and sighed. "You are all insane. Every last one of you." Yeah, Steve thought, Loki may have said the words, but his expression was, for the first time since he'd turned up in Central Park, hopeful.

… …

Kara smiled as Loki held open the door to his rooms for her. He'd escorted her, like a knight of old, from the guest chambers back to the Royal Wing. Someone had been in while they were gone. Lights were lit and a table was set with covered dishes. "More food?" she asked.

"Yes, I never finished the evening meal. I suspect Thor asked this to be delivered." He stopped and brushed long fingers along her cheek. "Did they mean it, do you think?"

"Of course. None of us blame you for what happened in Asgard." She shrugged. "We don't even really blame you for what happened in our world, not anymore."

"I was not under the control of the Other or his Master," Loki insisted.

"They had some kind of hold on you, though. Your eyes were blue up until the point the Hulk pounded you into Tony's floor. We figure that they could see what you were doing and maybe even hear what you were saying. But you had free will, so you could manipulate things to hopefully stop them. And you did." He frowned and stared at the floor. "Loki, it was brilliantly done. I don't think anyone else could have managed to minimize the damage the way you did. The only thing we really couldn't figure out was why Manhattan."

"Hmm. Well, the Chitauri do not maneuver very well. In a more open area, they would have been able to spread out and disperse before they could be stopped. It was far easier for the Avengers and the military to protect the populace and contain the enemy than it would have been most anywhere else."

"Then the only thing you didn't plan for was the nuke."

"Didn't I?" he said with a slight smirk. "On the contrary. I did not pull that information on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council during my recuperation. I'd visited them before, well, the three of them that had the most sway over the others. I would have been quite disappointed had they not sent the device."

She gaped at him. "But…what if Tony hadn't decided to be a hero?"

He shrugged. "I believed either he or Thor would do so, but if I was wrong, I would have done it myself. I would not have survived it, but by that point, I didn't care. Thor was aware of the menace and would warn Asgard, and the Chitauri horde would have hesitated to attack Midgard again."

"I'm glad it didn't come to that. Even if I lose you, I-I'm grateful to have had you in my life, even for a little while." She swallowed a sob. "Not that I want to lose you, but…"

"It seems inevitable."

Kara decided it would be best to change the subject. She didn't want to spend what would likely be their last night together in tears. Turning, she looked around the spacious chamber, trying to find something to talk about. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she noticed a framed pencil drawing that had to have been sketched by Steve Rogers when he took a turn on watch after Loki had been placed in her bed to recuperate from his injuries. The large and detailed drawing showed herself sprawled on Loki's chest, face turned toward his. The detail was amazing. "Oh…when did Steve give this to you?" she asked.

"The entire team come up to say farewell," he said quietly as he stepped up behind her and enfolded her in his arms. "I was rather…stunned."

She smiled. "Loki, when you're not purposely being an ass, you're very likable, you know."

"I actually do not know that. I-I've never been liked for myself before."

Turning, she hugged him hard. "Well, we liked you. Even those of us who wanted to hate you and fought it every step of the way ended up liking you. Of course, we're not exactly normal people. Every one of us is a misfit in some way or another." She shrugged. "I guess once we got past the Norse god and crazy destructive stuff, it seemed like you were one of us."

"Thank you, love. I wish I could be one of you, but I much doubt fate will be that kind."

… …

Loki closed his eyes as Kara's arms tightened about him once again then drew in a sharp breath as a decision he hadn't even realized he'd been considering was made. If Odin released him within her lifetime, he would return to her and spend every minute she had left loving her. When she died, he'd mourn, but at least he would have the memories of being loved so fully. "I love you, sweet Kara," he told her as he reached down to lift her into his arms.

She smiled up at him. "I'm never going to get over that, you know. I really never thought you could feel the same way about me."

"We're even, then. I never thought I could feel so strongly about anyone." He grinned at her. "Notice I said anyone, not any mortal."

"I did notice that, thank you. I guess you've decided we mortals aren't all that bad after all."

"Hmm. None of you are ordinary mortals. I've decided exceptions can be made."

Kara fell backwards laughing as he set her down on his bed. "You are so impossible," she finally managed. Reaching up to stroke his jaw she told him, "And so perfect for me. Now, how the hell do I get this outfit off? It has so many hooks and laces I don't even know where to begin."

"You don't." He smirked at her confusion and reached out with his magic. The dress vanished from her body and she gasped when the cool air of his chambers flowed over her bare skin. "I've sent it to the wardrobe." He sent his own clothing away and then leaned down to kiss the astonished expression from her lips. "You have your work saving devices, I have work saving magic."

"Huh. I think I like your way better." She wriggled back until she was fully on the bed. "Coming?" she asked playfully.

"Not yet I'm not," he growled and covered her body with his own, claiming her lips in a ravenous kiss. He moaned as her taste ignited a deep need within him. A need to make her his and only his in a way no one else could. "Kara, how is your energy?" he asked.

She blinked and tried to focus. "Uh, um, great, actually. That herbal stuff they gave me for my headache kind of recharged me. I feel like I could take on an army."

"Could you take on a Jötunn?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Kara's mouth dropped open as she realized what he wanted. "Oh." She blushed. 'I-yes, but we can't take too long, we'd have to be well, quicker than we usually are."

"I think we can manage that. Be sure to tell me when it's too much, hmm? I don't want any harm to come to you."

Her smile was wicked. "I'm more worried about harm coming to you. After all, you'll be intentionally starting a fire in me."

"I'll take that risk," he whispered in her ear as he let his form shift. He could feel his body temperature drop rapidly and saw his much cooler breath condensing in the warm air. He trailed his tongue along the tendon that ran from her shoulder to behind one delicate ear and then nipped the lobe sharply. She moaned as he moved back to her sweet spot and sucked the skin that now seemed so hot into his mouth. "So beautiful, my lady of fire," he murmured.

Her moans trebled as he moved to take a hardening nipple between his teeth and tugged on it sharply. His fingers found its twin and twisted it until she arched beneath him. "How is it you make me burn, my god of ice?" she asked hoarsely.

He grinned as he released her nipple and trailed both fingers and kisses down her creamy skin. Her nether curls were, a distant part of his brain noted, all the same shade, in the middle of the range of those that graced her scalp. He parted them, enjoying the contrast between the cobalt blue fingers of his Jötunn form's hand, the auburn of her pubic hair and the pink tinted cream of her inner folds. "Love makes you burn, my beautiful lady," he crooned.

She shrieked softly as he plunged two fingers into her already wet canal. The heat of her natural lubrication was scalding in this form, but he reveled in it. "God, Loki…I-I can't tell you how good that feels," she groaned, lifting up to draw his fingers even deeper inside. "Thought…thought you were god of mischief," she continued. "Think they got it wrong." Kara moaned as he withdrew and then thrust his fingers deep inside again and then shrieked as his cool lips closed on her clitoris. "So good," she hissed as he flicked it with his tongue while continuing to thrust slowly in and out of her sex.

He sucked strongly on the small bud as she continued to come undone beneath him. Her hot fluids were now soaking his hand and dripping down her thighs and his cock was so hard it began to pain him. Pulling back, he asked, "Can you take more, my love?"

"Always," she told him. He shifted on the bed and settled her thighs up and back. He checked her expression and was reassured to see her watching him avidly. Smirking slightly, he positioned himself and slowly, carefully slid his staff into the burning core of her sex. He groaned as her tight heat enveloped him. It was just short of excruciating, but at the same time, exquisite. "Loki," she moaned. "That's so…so…amazing."

… …

Kara whimpered as his cold staff pressed deep within her. The sensation was indescribable. There was an underlying heat within the cold, as his blood pulsed through the veins, and it…traveled, in a line, with a beat that was not noticeable when his flesh was warm. The ridges that ran across the rest of his body continued down his staff and the feel of them added an amazing counterpoint to the cool silky feel of his skin. She shuddered as he withdrew and then pressed in again, his long fingers tightening around her thighs as he groaned. "So hot, my love," he whispered, then those startlingly red eyes flashed open and the corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. "In all ways."

Trust Loki to make her laugh, even in the middle of mind-blowing sex. "Stop," she finally managed. "No time for teasing, remember?"

"Damn. Very well, sweet Kara. No teasing." She gasped as he thrust home sharply, shivering as the icy sensation traveled all the way to the entrance of her vagina. The cold triggered pleasurable spasms that made her arch her back, desperate to take him deeper still. "More, my love?" he purred.

"God, yes, Loki." He began to thrust in earnest then, pounding hard and deep as she continued to moan. Her skin tingled and goose bumps arose as her body tried to trap her heat against the onslaught of Loki's frigid flesh. The hard ridges roughly stroked the inside of her canal adding to the already overwhelming sensations. Loki pressed her legs back even further and leaned in to capture her lips. His tongue thrust inside her mouth and she closed her lips around it, sucking hard on its cold, supple surface. Kara forced herself to look directly into his blood-red eyes and moaned at the incongruousness of the heat within them. He pulled back, releasing her lips and she gasped as he turned his attention to her clit, rubbing and pinching it with chilly fingers.

"Come for me, my darling girl," he hissed, moving his other hand to sharply twist first one nipple and then the other. "Give me all of your heat, love."

A bliss-filled scream escaped as the cold pleasure shot through her entire body. She arched up off the bed and felt the now scalding heat of her come soaking both of them as waves of sensation rippled through her. The shuddering spasms continued, giving her a high from which she felt she would never come down. Her vision began to dim, but she couldn't let go…had to let him know. "Loki!" she shrieked. "Love…you…always…you…"

… …

**Author's Notes:** Okay, I don't know about the rest of the Loki Lovers out there, but I've been fantasizing about this since they showed Loki in his Jötunn form in Thor. Sigh. Was it as good for you as it was for me? ;P

Thank you all again for all of the review love.


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Notes:** More of the smexy. The rest of the chapter is important to the plot, so skip to the next set of '… …' when you encounter a section of it so that you don't miss anything vital. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. Looks like Jötunn form Loki with Kara was a big hit! Hope you like this chapter almost as well!

… …

Loki watched anxiously as his lady's eyelids fluttered. She'd fainted, the energetic strain of maintaining her body heat while they made love with him in his Jötunn form had taken its toll. Kara had managed to retain consciousness until after he'd finished inside her and had assured him she was well, but he still felt guilty. He stroked her silky hair back with his now warm hand and marveled at the knowledge that such an amazing woman loved him. Her beautiful eyes finally opened, the kaleidoscope of blue, green, gray and gold seeming to swirl as she turned her head to look fully at him. "I'm fine," she said. "I told you not to worry."

He smiled and stroked a finger across her bottom lip. "I will always worry for you, love." His grin widened as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You need to have something to eat, rebuild your strength," he insisted. "I've brought the table in here."

Kara sighed and let him help her sit up. "If I eat something, will you stop worrying?" she asked.

"I will worry less. And you are eating, it is not optional."

"Humph. Fine. But only because I'm hungry, not because you said so."

Her stubborn pout was a sight to see. "Of course, my lady." He picked up and plate and selected a few items from the serving platters and then set it in her lap. "You will enjoy these best, I think."

She stared down at the plate for a moment and then frowned at him. "Loki, I'm not an invalid."

"No, but I enjoy spoiling you."

"Oh." Blinking, she stared at the food for a moment more, than looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry, I didn't even think about it that way. I guess I'm not used to having someone want to take care of me. So, what? Not going to feed it to me too?"

He laughed and settled himself back down on the bed, set the plate aside and pulled her into his lap before picking it up again. "Better?" he asked and nuzzled her jaw when she nodded. "Good." Choosing a morsel from the plate he held it to her lips. "Roast…venison, I think is the closest approximation to a Midgardian animal; though it is domesticated, so the taste of it is closer to your beef." She cooperatively accepted and chewed the bite of meat and he amused himself by pressing soft kisses along her shoulder until she swallowed.

"If you're going to keep on doing that, I'm not going to get much eaten," she informed him.

"Hmm. I shall have to restrain myself then." He selected another bite, a root vegetable from the plate and held it up for her. "This has the texture of your raw carrots, but the flavor of your sweet potatoes." She took it from him and crunched it with every evidence of enjoyment. Next he picked up a slice of fruit, the way the fruit had been cut horizontally, the individual slices resembled the device on Roger's shield.

"Is that starfruit?" she asked

"I do not know if you have it on Midgard, or if so, what it may be called. Try it, hmm? It's quite tasty, though a bit sweet."

Kara took the fruit slice in her mouth and closed her eyes. "Mm. Yep," she said after she'd swallowed. "Starfruit. I haven't had one of these since I visited Hawaii. They're awesome, do you have more?"

"I shall get you all you'd like, love." He made a mental note to order some for her morning meal. "Have some more of the meat." He fed her another piece and then popped one in his own mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he considered the evening's events. "Just how far do you think your friends are willing to go at the Tribunal?" he asked.

"Our friends. And it depends, I think, on what's decided. Will they be considering what happened to Jötunheim, or just what happened on Earth?"

"Midgard, Kara. And please remind the others, none of you will be taken seriously here if you continue to call it Earth even if it is what you've called it all your lives." He frowned as he encouraged her to take another bite of the meat, it was quite well seasoned, and again, took a few for himself. "They will be considering all of my actions, including those in your Galisteo area. Though that did lead to Thor proving he had learnt his lesson and allowed his power to be restored. Should Thor wish to see it that way, they will likely only censure me for how I went about it."

She shook her head. "Was that even your intent?" Her eyes narrowed at his silence. "Hmm, that's what I thought. You were lashing out because of how hurt you were. But it turned out well."

"How so? That led to my fall into the Void."

"Maybe, but it also led to Jane being able to figure out wormholes and her being able to send the guys here with us so we could help Asgard. So that really should be a wash."

"A what?"

Her head dropped back on his shoulder. "A wash. Um, it's a colloquial term meaning it should balance out." Loki smiled as she stretched up to press a soft kiss on his jaw. "I suppose it's amazing we don't have to explain more colloquialisms to you than we do. The few days I had to spend talking to Thor nearly drove me insane, and Steve isn't much better considering it's his planet and he only missed seventy years of language evolution. And don't get me started on how crazy it is trying to get either of them to use any modern technology correctly."

"I did have an advantage. Not only have I been working at keeping up with Midgard's science, when I controlled those agents I absorbed quite a bit of their knowledge; probably more than most would as I have practiced my memorization and retention skills for centuries. One never knows what will be needed for a powerful work of magic."

"Were any of them programming geniuses?"

He chuckled as he selected more fruit from the platter. "No, but most of them knew more than the average person, I expect. Programming isn't all that much different from using magic. Had he the ability to channel the power, Tony Stark would make a formidable sorcerer." Shrugging as he teased her by offering one of the star-shaped fruit pieces only to pull it away he continued, "Fortunately, he has no such ability."

Kara was frowning at him, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "If you're going to pull food away, it must mean I don't need to eat anymore." He immediately tucked the slice between her lips. Once she swallowed she asked: "Why fortunately?"

"Because he is exceedingly reckless. The kind of power that can be harnessed if used carelessly could destroy more worlds than he can even imagine. Granted, it would take the practitioner with it, but his recklessness would cause him to ignore that pertinent fact and try it regardless."

"Maybe. I'm not so sure, though. He's matured a great deal recently." She sighed as he held up another bite of vegetable. "No, I've had enough. I could use some water, though."

"Hmm, I'll need to send for some. Meanwhile, have a bit of mead." He held the goblet up to her lips.

"Not a good idea for me to have anything alcoholic after draining myself so much. So what about Jötunheim? We can vouch for what happened on Midgard, but there's nothing we can say about that."

"I don't know. I suppose it depends on how much damage resulted, and on how much outrage there has been amongst the other realms to what I did to them. Though I think Thor will try to dissuade them from blaming me on that. He feels responsible as it was his idea in the first place…well, to subjugate Jötunheim, not to try and destroy it. That, I'm afraid, was all me."

Kara twisted in his lap and hugged him close. "I don't suppose they'll take testimony about psychological state and such?"

"No, my love. Best not to dwell on it, there's naught we can do until we know what the members of the Tribunal think of it all."

"I won't let them hurt you."

"Kara, don't. Promise me you will not mount some ill-advised rescue attempt. If you cannot dissuade them from sentencing me to something you consider unreasonable, you will need to go home and try to forget about me."

"Bullshit." Her arms tightened about him and hot tears dampened his neck. "I'll never be able to forget you, and I won't be able to let it go."

"If you don't, they may do something to you that _I'll _regret. Please, sweet love. Don't make this more difficult for me. I know the thought of me suffering in any way hurts you, but I will suffer it gladly to know that you are well and safe. Do not do anything that will jeopardize your chances of being fully healed. Even if you did manage to save me from punishment, if you died for lack of healing, it would destroy me."

"It's just not fair," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I know." He combed his fingers through her hair as she sobbed, rubbing her back with his other hand. Once she settled, he kissed her forehead and used one of the hand linens to dry her face. "For more than a thousand years I have watched my brother tread over hundreds of hearts that were sincerely offered him, taking no real notice or care of any of them. I-I am offered one, and it is the heart of a glorious and miraculous woman, and I cannot even…no, it is not fair at all."

"I really am full, Loki," she said softly. "Can we just go back to sleep?"

He smiled and returned the plate to the table and settled her back down on the bed. "We can lay back down…sleep, well, that will come eventually."

… …

Hawkeye turned to stare at the entrance to their suite. No, he hadn't been mistaken, someone was knocking. He dropped back down from the ledge where he'd been watching the sunrise to the floor of the balcony, crossed the common area and opened the door. Fandral and Sif waited on the other side. "What?" he asked.

The tall woman frowned. "He's as talkative as Hogun," she groused.

"No, he speaks a good deal more, but not unnecessarily. Good morrow, Hawk. Is Thor here? We need to consult with him and he was not in his chambers," Fandral said.

"Yeah, he fell asleep over there," he told them as he stepped back and nodded toward the piece of furniture that resembled an overstuffed couch without arms on the end. Thor was sprawled across it, still snoring. "He dropped off mid-conversation."

"He'd likely not fully recovered before he joined you," Sif offered. "He's stubborn that way."

"He's stubborn most ways; almost as much a pain in the ass as his brother."

The woman grimaced but Fandral chuckled. "They are cut from the same cloth in that regard, surely."

Sif frowned and pushed past them. "Thor, wake up, there is trouble developing," she called out as she stopped a few yards away from the sleeping god of Thunder.

Clint almost laughed as Thor jumped up and took on a fighting stance, sweeping his arms out in several directions as though he needed to clear enemies away. The reason for Sif awakening him from a distance was obvious. "What, where?" he rumbled, as he blinked sleep from his eyes.

Sif shook her head. "Not here, be at ease; but there is much to discuss and soon. Delegations have arrived."

"What's going on," Clint asked.

"The All-Father has called a War Council with our allies. He is concerned that the Mad Titan will not give up his quest for a dangerous treasure that resides in Asgard's vaults."

Thor stretched and yawned, then turned to Sif with a frown. "Why did he not wait until after the Tribunal has met?"

Fandral stepped from behind Sif. "From what we understand, he wishes Loki to speak to what he knows of the enemy. I-I'm afraid that does not bode well as to Odin's confidence in the decision of the Tribunal."

"Crap." Clint turned and strode over to the occupied bedrooms. "Stark, Cap, wake up. You need to hear this." Rogers sat up almost immediately. Stark didn't so much as blink. "Shit." He stalked over to the bed and prodded the billionaire's shoulder. "Stark, wake up, we've got company."

"Not now, Pep, gimme another ten, 'kay?" the man mumbled.

"In what freaky universe do I sound like Pepper?" he asked. "Shit." After considering for a minute, he grabbed the still sleeping idiot under the arms, dragged him off of the bed and dumped him on the floor. "Wake up, or I'll get Thor in here to use a little lightning on your lazy ass."

One chocolate brown eye opened. "You wouldn't. He wouldn't."

"I would; he probably wouldn't except Loki may be in trouble."

"Christ, what did Bambi do this time," Stark muttered as he clambered to his feet.

"Bambi?"

"Yeah, blunders around getting his ass in trouble and then gives you the damn baby deer eyes to get out of it. Why the hell do I always have to explain these things?"

"Because we don't share your warped view of the world, Tony," Rogers said as he leaned into the room, balancing on his crutches. "Come on, Thor's friends are waiting."

… …

Christ, a hangover, in frigging Asgard, no less. Tony groaned as he pulled on the clothes that had been left for him by the servants he had yet see. Maybe they were invisible? Maybe there were no servants and it was all magic? "Shit, I hate magic," he muttered. After staring in the mirror at the outfit for a minute, he brightened. "Huh, very Pirates of the Caribbean, kind of." He shrugged. "Whatever it is, I rock it."

Thor, the Amazonian bitch and Fandral were going at it when he emerged, talking over each other, gesturing, and generally making no more sense than a cage full of monkeys at the zoo. Cap was staring at them with his trademark disgusted expression. "Okay, that's it, all of you **_shut up_**," he finally barked. Surprisingly they all responded to the authority in his tone and buttoned it. Would wonders never cease? "Now, Sif, explain it as though we have absolutely no idea of your political structure, treaties, or anything else, because three of us don't, okay?"

She looked Steve up and down and nodded. "Odin's magic and that of Asgard itself protects a vault of powerful artifacts and other treasures. It seems the enemy that _held Loki_," and here she sounded like she was spitting, "is a powerful being whose name we will not mention lest he gain the ability to hear our conversation. We call him the Mad Titan. He wants one of the treasures and will wreak destruction upon the entire universe should he obtain it."

"Okay, so this Titan…is that like the Titans of Earth mythology?" Tony had to ask.

"No, those creatures had not the power of this one." Tony's stomach rolled at her calm assertion. "This is a grave danger to all of the nine realms, including your Midgard. The treaties the All-Father has undertaken with those empowered to treat with us require mutual defense against outside enemies, therefore Odin was forced to call in delegations from the other realms so that they may be aware of the enemy and take steps in their own defense."

"And maybe make sure no more of them help the bastard attack Asgard again?" he guessed.

"Exactly," Sif agreed. "The Svartálfar representative is here with the others, but he is under guard from what we can see and seems much subdued. Hogun and Volstagg are attempting to find out more."

"Okay, I understand Hogun; the man's a wraith when he wants to be, but Volstagg?"

Thor chuckled. "Do not underestimate him, friend Tony. Volstagg may act the buffoon, but his mind and ears are very sharp and he is often ignored as not worthy of notice. Our large friend often hears much that is intended to be confidential."

Sif nodded. "He was the one who heard the council being called when he was visiting the kitchens early."

Steve was rubbing his forehead and Clint looked bored but neither of them asked the obvious question, so Tony guessed it was up to him…in the middle of his frigging hangover. Shit. "Okay, so big war council meeting. Why is this a problem for Bam…uh, Loki?"

The woman gave him a 'what are you, an idiot?' glare. "Emissaries are here from Jötunheim as well."

"Oh, shit; you're talking about his birth dad's realm that Loki trashed. That can't be good."

"Hence our disquiet."

"You're no fan of Loki's, why 'our'?"

She audibly ground her teeth. "He is loved by Thor and by Lady Frigga. I would do anything for either of them."

"Gotcha. Fandral, buddy, what's with the sad eyes?"

"They are holding the council _before_ the Tribunal, Tony Stark. I do not think that speaks well of Loki's chances with that august body." The dandified Æsir shrugged. "Also, I am saddened that Lady Sif did not have the opportunity afforded Hogun and I, to truly come to know Loki as more than Thor's brother."

Tony smirked as Sif rolled her eyes. "Yep, that's truly sad," he agreed. "Okay, so now what?"

Thor turned toward the windows and heaved a sigh. "I shall go warn my brother so that he is not pulled into the council unprepared. He will not even have these few last hours with his lady." When the big lug turned around again, his eyes were wet.

"Damn. They can't catch a break."

… …

Kara sighed as she lightly traced along the lean muscles of Loki's chest and abdomen. He was still asleep, which meant that he'd lain awake well into the night again, worrying. Not that he would ever admit to it, no, of course not; that would be a sign of weakness. She sighed again and turned her face to kiss the smooth cool skin of his neck. His arms tightened around her, but otherwise he didn't stir. Sunlight was flooding the room beyond the bed's draperies and had been for some time. Playing idly with one of his almost flat nipples she debated waking him. He shifted and one hand slid down her back to cup her ass and then squeezed. She grinned. "You're awake," she said.

"How can I sleep through your arousing touch, my love?" he asked as he pulled her on top of him. He wasn't kidding about being aroused, though the thought crossed her mind that maybe it was just one of those guy things. While she hadn't slept with anyone before Loki, she'd read journals and listened to gossip and understood about morning 'wood' as it was called. His eyes narrowed slightly. "It is all because of you," he told her as though he read her mind.

"Do you read thoughts?" she asked.

"No, I read expressions and body language. And you, sweet Kara, have an extraordinarily expressive face."

She shrugged. "I don't usually have anything to hide."

"I know, love. Your honesty is one of your strengths." Loki tugged at her hips until she settled directly on top of his rigid staff. "Hmm, and you, dear lady, are already wet for me."

"You sure that we women don't just wake up that way?"

His eyebrows rose. "I'm fairly certain that is not the case. Do you mean to tell me you do not want me?"

There was a bit of hurt in his expression, but the sparkle in his green eyes gave him away. "Nope, I don't want you," she claimed breezily as she shifted and lifted herself above him. "Not at all," she insisted as she took a firm hold of his erection and began to lower herself onto it. "Just…" she gasped as he filled her to overflowing. "Don't…" she moaned as her body began to adjust. "Want this to go to waste," she finally managed to finish.

Loki's smug grin made her laugh. "Yes, laugh at me, you wicked wench," he said. "But don't you dare stop what you're doing."

Kara pressed her hands flat on his taut abdomen for balance as she raised herself up and tucked her heels under her. "Never," she promised as she began to ride.

… …

Odin stared down at the elder of Laufey's two full-blooded sons. Helblindi had come personally to represent Jötunheim, leaving his younger brother Býleistr in charge of the realm. Two bodyguards had accompanied the Jötnar heir, and considering Laufey's death in this palace, Odin had not refused them entrance. "I will have your word that you and yours will not do harm to Loki during this visit, and that you will abide by the final decision of our Tribunal," he told Loki's younger brother.

Helblindi glared back at him, eye to eye though Odin stood on a dais. "If the final decision does not address the wrong done to my realm, I will not abide by it." The Jötnar flanking him stood silently, but their hands were held in a fighting stance. One couldn't completely disarm a frost giant. They could make weapons of ice at will, though such an act here, in Asgard, would cost them a great deal in energy.

"And what wrong was done your realm, _Prince_ Helblindi," Odin asked, well aware that the heir presumptive of Jötunheim had not yet been crowned king.

The boy's cheeks flushed purple at the implied insult. "We had numerous deaths, and our climate has suffered unspeakable damage. The sudden influx of cold…"

"And how has cold ever harmed your people?" Haakun, one of Odin's High Councilors asked.

Helblindi's glare would have melted a glacier. "The sudden influx of cold upset the realm's balance. Now the ice fields are melting, temperatures are rising, and our resources are projected to be irrevocably destroyed within five cycles."

"Would restoration of the ice fields prevent this?" Odin asked the seething prince.

"We believe so. You _must_ give us the Casket of Ancient Winters to restore the balance. It is our birthright, our artifact, and we should have its custody."

"The last time a Jötnar King had custody of the Casket, he attempted to use it to bring about another Ice Age on Midgard. Nearly a hundred Æsir died to save that realm. No, you will not have it back," Haakun vowed.

"That's a lie, it did not happen that way!"

Glaring down at the irate boy, Odin slammed Gungnir's base down on the floor. The impact shook the room and the three Jötnar staggered as they attempted to regain their balance. "It happened long before you were even born you insolent pup!" he bellowed. "Do not tell us what did and did not happen, I. Was. There." He took a deep breath to quiet his temper as the Jötnar stared at him, seemingly chastened. "You will not be given the Casket," he reiterated Haakun's words calmly. "However, I will guarantee you that before any other sentence is carried out, Loki will be bound to use it to restore your ice fields so that your realm's balance may be regained."

"And what of his other crime? He is a patricide."

Odin smiled at the prince's sullen tone. "Did you know, _Prince_ Helblindi, that should you be crowned king you will be the first King of Jötunheim in over ten millennia who will have taken the crown without first taking the life of their father? By all rights and traditions of Jötunheim, the crown should go to Loki."

… …

Loki moaned as Kara's walls clenched hard around him. Her joy in their lovemaking was evident in this position, he could watch her changing expressions and enjoy the view of her head thrown back wantonly, her full breasts swaying with her motions as she continued to ride his throbbing erection. He wasn't going to last too much longer, but judging by the trembling waves running through her muscles, neither was she. Kara whimpered as she shifted. Both hands were now pressed against his sides, her small fingers gripping hard as she drove her sex down and back in an effort to wring even more sensation from their coupling. "Gods, Kara…if I didn't know better, I'd swear you were experienced."

She laughed between her moans. "Inexperienced doesn't mean ignorant," she gasped. "Women talk…lots." Groaning, she twisted her hips as she settled almost flush against him and then began to pull up again. "And I'm a really good listener."

He shuddered as the urge to thrust up and release began to overtake him. "And a very quick study, my love," he gasped before he gave up on any attempt to prolong the pleasure and grabbed her hips. Kara shrieked as he pulled her down hard and then began to thrust frantically from beneath her. She sobbed and held on as they pounded together and finally found her own release with a muffled scream as she pressed her face into his chest. Loki bit back his own triumphant shout as he heard movement in the outer rooms of his chambers. Using a tendril of power he identified the intruder as Thor.

"Loki?" Kara asked as he scowled and settled her limp form back down on the bed and gave her a distracted kiss. "What's wrong?"

"My brother's timing still leaves much to be desired," he groused. Her puzzled frown drew a smirk from him. "Thor arrived while we enjoyed ourselves, Kara. At least this time he had the good sense to wait in my receiving room."

"Oh." She stared out towards their open bedroom door. "Isn't it early yet?"

"It is, I'd best go see what is the problem." He frowned at her worried look. "Relax, my darling. It will be fine." She nodded and allowed him to scoop her off of the bed and carry her into the bathroom. "Enjoy a nice hot bath; I'll join you as soon as I deal with our interruption."

"Tell him it had better be important, or the next thing he's going to feel is how frustrated I was the last time he interrupted us."

Loki laughed as he headed out to talk to his brother. He just might do that just to see Thor's reaction. His smile faded as he saw Thor's troubled expression. "What's happened?"

"I apologize for interrupting your time with Lady Kara," he rumbled. "I-I would not have done so had it not been important."

"I know that, Thor. You are forgiven. So, what is the emergency?"

"A War Council is being convened. You will be summoned shortly to speak of the enemy so that our allies might be fully prepared."

"I can see the need for it, then what…oh. Who has Helblindi sent to represent him?"

"Hogun has just confirmed that the crown prince has come himself."

That was not good. His half-brother, who he'd not even officially met, though he'd seen him on their ill-fated journey to Jötunheim, coming to a War Council on Asgard, the realm where his father had been killed, well, assassinated, if truth be told. "His visit is twofold, no doubt. Preparations for a future incursion by the Mad Titan's forces and payback for my actions." His jaw clenched as the possible outcomes of this visit raced through his mind. "With the Jötunn heir presumptive present, my actions with regard to them will be held to full account."

"Our actions. I am the one who directed your attention there. I am equally to blame."

"You saved their miserable realm from certain destruction at my hands. I believe they will forgive you."

"Nevertheless, I will insist on bearing my part of any punishment."

His eyes closed as he fought back his exasperation. "Brother, Asgard needs you whole. You have learned much in the past few cycles. You will be a decent king. I am superfluous," he said with a glance over his shoulder to his bathing chamber. "Well, superfluous to Asgard. You cannot risk yourself to defend me for in doing so you risk the Realm Eternal."

"And the Tribunal will know that, Loki. That will temper their decisions and make the sentence one that can be borne without undue hardship. I am not such a fool that I believe you will receive a slap on the wrist for this. But I also understand enough to know that they will not risk me."

Loki stared at Thor. "You've also become quite the manipulator, though you do it for the benefit of others." He smiled sadly and held out an arm and let Thor pull him into an embrace.

"From you, that is quite the compliment, brother. Thank you."

"It was meant as such. You will be a fine king. I hope that I will see the day that you sit Asgard's throne."

"If I have any say in the matter at all, you will not only see it, you will stand beside me as the most valued of my advisors. I need you, Loki. I am not so vain, at least, not anymore, that I do not see that your intelligence far surpasses mine. Your advice will keep me from rash acts now that I have learned to listen first and ask questions rather than just bulling my way forward. I need you and Asgard needs you, and if the Tribunal cannot be made to see that, we are all lost."

… …


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Notes:** Clarification: Sorry, guys. When Thor said he'd insist on sharing Loki's punishment, it was with regards to Jötunheim, not what happened on Midgard. Thor is not taking responsibility for that. Loki is on his own there, though he's got half the Avengers to speak for him. **Warning:** Gratuitous implied sex at the end, including girl on girl. If you don't want to read it, stop reading after the section where Frigga talks to Eir. Otherwise, enjoy! **Thanks:** to Hope of the Darkness for catching an ongoing boo-boo. Looks like I confused my Janes starting with Chapter 24...I've gone back and corrected it all to Foster. I don't even read Tarzan, so I have no idea where the Porter came from!

… …

Kara tried to keep her expression composed as Fandral escorted her to the Avengers' rooms. He and Hogun had come to Loki's room as Hogun had been assigned to escort Loki to the War Council. They'd allowed them a few minutes alone to say their official goodbyes. The guards that had accompanied Hogun didn't have to know that they'd been warned by Thor and had already spent a good hour in each other's arms, trying to believe their mutual reassurances that everything would be okay. It was pretty pathetic when she thought about it. With Loki being the Norse god of Lies and her abilities as an empathic psychologist, neither one of them had any difficulty in recognizing a lie. A wry chuckle escaped and Fandral gave her a quizzical look. "Loki and I just spent our last moments together lying to each other about how we were fine and could handle this."

"I don't understand, my lady."

"We were both lying our backsides off to each other and we both knew it."

Fandral nodded. "Perhaps, Lady Kara, you were each lying to yourself rather than to each other."

She stared at him a minute as his suggestion sank in. He was right…and she really hadn't thought him deep enough to see that kind of thing. Who knew? "You know, Fandral; I think you're right." He nodded and held the door open for her. Tony was sprawled in a deep chair, Steve was pacing, and Hawkeye was nowhere to be seen.

One end of the sofa was occupied by a pensive Sif. "They've been called, then?" the dark-haired Æsir asked Fandral.

"Indeed, Sif. It was as we thought."

Kara walked through the suite to the balcony. The guys had nearly the same view as Loki, though they were on a lower floor. Not that it mattered considering this entire side of the Valhöll was set only a few yards off of the edge of a cliff. Every room on this face overlooked a spectacular vista. Looking up she noticed that Hawkeye had found a ledge just under the balcony above them upon which to perch. His moody expression was oddly reassuring. Despite his history with Loki, Clint didn't like what was happening any more than she did. "I don't think even you could hit anything from here," she said as she looked back out over the railing. "There's nothing within range but empty sky."

He shrugged. "I think better this way."

"Fair enough."

"We should have brought Banner. If this goes bad it would have made him angry. I'd like to see him pound a few of these self-righteous pricks into their goddamn golden floor."

She grinned. When she'd moved into the Tower the first time, workmen were just cutting out the section of the observation lounge floor that held two Loki-shaped holes. "Well, we don't have him here, so we'll just have to improvise."

"Stark's at full power and then some. Cap's leg has been pronounced fully healed. You're all better." He stopped and frowned. "Uh, recovered from your migraine, I mean," he said quickly. Clint held up his quiver. "And this thing refilled overnight. Looks like if you give it a day, the magic stuff resets itself."

"Loki said he tied it to the power of something he called Yggdrasill, the world tree, so as long as the nine realms exist, it should keep refilling every day."

"Handy. And generous."

She shrugged. "He figured he owed you…big time."

"Damn straight."

"Clint, I…"

"It's okay, doc…Kara. Most people have forgiven me for what I did under the influence. I guess I'm a big enough man to forgive him. Even if the bastard won't admit he was controlled."

"That's just it, he wasn't fully controlled, just under constant observation. He had to do what they expected, at least on the surface, so they wouldn't take over someone who couldn't try to outmaneuver them, or worse yet, someone who would happily cooperate with them."

"Did he send me after Nat on purpose?"

"Yes. He figured you'd hold back, at least subconsciously, and she'd be able to break you free."

Clint dropped down from the ledge and stretched. "And baited the Hulk into pounding on him to break him free."

"Yes, and purposely gave Tony enough time to get the bracelets on to call the Mark VII before he threw him out the window."

"Crafty son of a bitch," Tony commented from behind them.

She had to smile. "Yes, he is. If S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't muzzled him he might have been able to tell Odin the truth and then been armed and ready when the enemy pulled him back to punish him for failing."

"But would Odin have believed him?" Tony sounded skeptical and she couldn't blame him.

"That was a gamble. He figured Thor and Frigga would and if they couldn't convince Odin to trust him, they still would have tried to help him be prepared to fight back, and then once he was taken, convince Odin that they needed to follow through."

"So, why doesn't he just tell the Tribunal this?" Steve asked as he joined them on the balcony. "I don't get it."

"You saw how Sif treated him. She immediately thought he'd told the enemy how to kill Thor…or any other Æsir, for that matter. He believes that most of them will think the same way and he's too freaking proud to beg for them to understand, or even admit he couldn't handle the enemy on his own." She sighed. "He's such an idiot, sometimes."

"I hope they'll listen to us, at least," Steve said. "According to Sif, they've had one guy found guilty of treason in the dungeons for five-hundred years now, and another one was flayed to death."

Kara stared at him, horrified, as her breakfast forced its way up out of her stomach. She ran for the bathroom and fell to her knees in front of the commode, barely reaching it before vomiting until her stomach was empty and only bile came out. She stayed there, shaking, as tears cascaded down her cheeks, unable to get an image of Loki with his skin flayed from his body out of her head. "Here, drink this," she heard Tony say as he pulled back on her shoulder and held a mug to her lips. "It's a small ale, and it'll get that taste out of your mouth without too much alcohol hitting your system. Fandral went off to find you something to settle your stomach better."

"Do you think they'll do that to him, Tony?" she asked brokenly before rinsing her mouth out with the ale, spitting it out and then drinking a bit down to wash the bile out of her esophagus.

"Doubt it. Thor wouldn't stand for it, and I seriously doubt his mom would either. It would be a cold day in hell before Odin ever had any peace if he let any punishment Loki might be sentenced to go that far."

She shuddered, then nodded. "You're right, but still…God, I'm so scared for him."

"Yeah, I think we got that. Come on, let's go out to the main room so you can sit down and chill."

… …

Steve looked up as Tony led Kara out of the bathroom and settled her into a chair. He didn't get it. She'd seen lots of blood and guts, heck, from what Barton had said, Loki was in a pool of blood when they'd found him and she'd watched Banner reach in and hold the guy's organs, even. Why had talking about it made her sick. His eyes widened. Oh. Oh boy. "Uh, Kara?" he began, happy that he was able to remember not to call her 'doc' when he was this unsettled. "You-do you think maybe you might be in a family way?" He fought back a blush, he was that embarrassed to even be asking.

She stared at him for a minute, her expression totally blank. "Why in God's name would you think that?"

He shrugged. "Well, I don't know if you'd thought to use protection, and you just got sick and it's morning and all…" he trailed off as she rolled her eyes at him. "Uh, I take it that's a no?"

"That's a no. Steve, Loki had his magic back by the time we did anything. He made sure I wouldn't get pregnant and they don't have STDs. I got violently sick because you made me picture the man I love dead and covered with bloody scraps where his skin used to be, thank you **_oh_** so much."

Steve winced. "Oh, wow. I'm so sorry, I guess I didn't think. You know they won't really do that, right? I mean, not to Thor's brother."

"Forget it, Steve. The damage is done. That picture isn't going away anytime soon." Kara looked so miserable it made his heart hurt. She sat with her arms tightly wrapped around her abdomen and her knees drawn up against them.

"The captain is correct," Sif said from her seat on the couch. "While they will not simply slap his hands, they would not be that cruel to Thor's brother. The worst sentence he is likely to get is indefinite imprisonment."

"Well **_that_** makes me feel **_so_** much better," Kara snapped. Her frown deepened and she lifted her head to look at Sif. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way, it is better. It's just…I guess I'm feeling sorry for myself."

"I do not understand what you see in him," Sif grumbled. "He causes much trouble, and not all of it benign."

"Hmm. Let's see. He's gorgeous, brilliant, clever, funny as all get out. Oh, and don't forget sexy." She frowned at the Æsir. "He's also vulnerable. Did any of you ever pay much attention of any kind to him before he earned his rep for mischief? When people are starved for attention, even negative attention makes them feel better, less…invisible."

"You understand him." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. And because I understand him, know how he feels…hell, I've felt as he feels, I love him. All your people have done is made him feel worthless, and more recently, like he's a monster. He's not." Kara stared at her hands and brought up a small ball of fire, smiling grimly when everyone stepped or leaned back. "For more than half my life I thought that being able to do this made me a monster. That I was too dangerous to be loved…well, in a physical sense. Loki taught me that I was more than I thought, that I was no monster."

"The fire giants of Mûspelheim are monsters, as are the Jötunn. While you have powers similar to the former, you obviously aren't one of them."

"You don't get it. It's the same lesson he taught you."

"Loki taught me no lesson, he stole something from me, you could not understand."

"No? Tell me, Sif. Would you rather be known and remembered as the greatest female warrior in all of Asgard, or as the useless girl with the prettiest hair?" Kara nodded at Sif's surprise. "Did you have any thoughts of learning to fight before that incident? No, I didn't think so. You would have lived your long life in relative safety, being made much of only because of the unusual color of your hair. Objectified, thought little of on the whole. But because of what Loki did, you had to find something else. Now you are respected, looked up to, honored for your accomplishments."

"I'd never considered that," she admitted.

"I know. By the way, it was an accident. You never let him explain. It was supposed to be an illusion, but he made a mistake, granted, a really bad one, but a mistake nonetheless. Let it go."

… …

Loki took a deep breath as they reached the entrance to the Council Chambers. One of the guards opened the doors and waited for them to enter. As he stepped forward, Hogun touched his arm. "Together," he said. Burying his surprise with a confident nod, Loki waited a beat and then stepped forward with Hogun the Grim at his side, a show of solidarity to which he was not accustomed, but for which he was grateful.

Some of those gathered rose respectfully as he entered, others did not. Odin All-Father, of course was one of those who remained seated, but that was his right. The Ljósálfar representative rose, albeit with a show of reluctance. Loki was certain the courtesy was only due to Thor striding forward to throw an arm around his shoulders in a brotherly embrace. Hela also rose and bowed to him. Though they had little contact as she preferred to remain in her own sovereign realm of Niflheim, she always gave him a daughters' respect. Damn…he hadn't told Kara that he was a father. Malekith, representing the Svartálfar, did not rise, however that meant nothing as two Æsir armed guards hovered over him. He had apparently not been able to convince Odin that he had nothing to do with his people bringing an artifact to Asgard. Odin was not as foolish as Malekith thought. The Dökkálfar in attendance remained seated as well, but as the dwarf was quite elderly there could be no insult taken. Frey, ruler of the Vanir, did not rise, but a king did outrank a mere prince. A full half of Odin's counselors rose. Those that did not were likely part of the Tribunal and could not lest they be thought to show partiality. Loki nodded carefully to all of those present and made a respectful bow to Odin, Frey and Hela, as was required by their rank. "Good morrow, All-Father," he said to Odin. "How may I serve Asgard this day?"

Odin nodded, in approval of his greeting. "Your knowledge of our common enemy is needed. Please be seated so that the Council may direct their questions to you in comfort."

Loki struggled to keep his expression bland as he took the indicated seat. Odin had not addressed him by name or as his son. That didn't augur well. He glanced around the table, trying to read expressions and was surprised into a frown. Where was Helblindi? None of the Jötnar were in the chambers. "Are we all here, my liege?" he asked.

"For now. I wished something settled before the others join us. There has been a concern as to where your loyalties might lie and as to whether you will deal fairly with all of our allies considering the events of the past cycle."

"Speak you of Jötunheim or Midgard, All-Father?" Best to get it all out on the table, he decided. He was so damn tired of everyone dancing around both subjects.

"Let us speak of Jötunheim first. This Council has been apprised of your heritage. The first question they have asked is whether you will seek the Jötunn throne as you are Laufey's eldest son and therefore the legal heir."

"I much doubt the Jötnar would accept a half-breed king any more readily than the Æsir. So, no, I have no such intention." He shrugged. "Besides which, Laufey died in this hall, at my hands. That would also not endear me to his people."

Odin…smiled? "Indeed, you did strike down Laufey, while he attempted to kill me as I was trapped in the Odinsleep." Loki frowned as Odin exchanged a look with Frey. "Frey, how did Laufey ascend to his throne, do you recall?"

"Indeed. He killed his father during a disagreement over a female they both wanted. Laufey took the throne, but then changed his mind about the female, as I remember." The Vanir king shrugged. "It was a very long time ago."

Loki blinked in shock. That hadn't been part of the tales they were told as children. All the more reason the bastard deserved to die. "So," Odin said. "I ask you again, Loki, born Laufeyson. Will you seek the Jötunn throne?"

"I will not. Their people have good reason to hate me - for the harm I have done to them, if not for the death of their king. I will not subject them to the rule of one they must surely despise."

"Our people have wondered," began Nyvorlas, the younger of the Ljósálfar princes. "Why you sought to destroy the Jötnar. They were no real danger to Asgard."

"They have always been a danger to Asgard," Thor spoke up, his tone harsh.

"Brother, no." Thor frowned at him. "I had just learned the truth of my birth, abandonment and adoption. I was…distraught, to say the least and foolishly took out my anger and frustration on a people who had no defense against it. Thankfully Thor was able to stop the process before even more damage was done. I am grateful to him."

"Do you regret what has happened to Laufey and his realm?" Hela asked quietly.

"I do not regret killing Laufey. I am told by those I trust that he abandoned me to die and likely also killed the Æsir woman who gave birth to me as no trace of her was found. His crimes, not just to me, but to many throughout the Nine Realms, made him deserving of death. As he tried to bring about my demise, I had every right to take his life in recompense with no regrets and no apologies." He paused and took a calming breath. "My attack on Jötunheim, that I regret and deeply. I do not know if there is aught I can do to make amends, but if given the chance I will do what I can."

"Prettily spoken, _brother_," a voice snarled from a screened off section of the room. Three Jötnar walked around the screen and one took the final seat at the table. "But you have yet to convince me that you will not attempt to take my throne."

"I will say it one more time Prince Helblindi, that none may mistake me. I have no intention of seeking my birth-father's throne, and even were it to be freely offered me, I would hesitate to take it. I will not contest you or your younger brother's right to it unless you use it to attack any of the other Realms."

His brother's blood red eyes bore into him for a moment and then looked toward Odin. "I have yet to see proof that your adopted son is indeed my father's get. He looks Æsir or Vanir. Where is your proof, All-Father."

Loki stiffened as Odin looked his way. This was something he'd wanted to avoid. Being thought a monster by the Council and having it proved to them were two entirely different things. "This must be settled, Loki. You will show your other form to this gathering."

Odin's order left no room for disagreement. "As you command, my liege," he said quietly and stood so that all could see. He let the change flow through him, frowning down at the table as he felt his body temperature plummet. A collective gasp from the group made him grind his teeth in an effort to avoid a more noticeable reaction to their disgust.

Helblindi had also arisen and he could feel the weight of his half-brother's glare. "Remove your tunic," he demanded. "I cannot see your clan markings clearly." He assumed Helblindi was referring to the pattern of the ridges. Loki had noticed that his half-brother's ridges were laid out very much like his own while those of the Jötnar guards were vastly different. He pulled off the tunic without comment and laid it across his chair, then met the other's gaze. The Jötunn crown prince stared at him, his eyes tracing the pattern that ran from his forehead, down his torso, and disappeared into the waist of his trousers. Helblindi nodded. "I-apologize for doubting your word, Odin All-Father. Loki is indeed my brother by blood."

Odin nodded. "Your apology is not necessary. You were not yet born when I took Loki from Jötunheim. You had no reason to know of his birth."

"Might I get…comfortable again, my liege?" Loki asked.

"Of course." Odin looked around the table and frowned. "Loki is the same as he has always been. Asgard will take it as a direct insult should any of you treat him differently." The All-Father turned to Helblindi, who nodded.

"Jötunheim would take it as an insult as well."

"If that is settled," Haakun, first among Odin's advisors, said. "We should turn our attention to the attack on Asgard by the Mad Titan."

Loki smiled as Hogun stepped forward to help him with his tunic once he had returned to his Æsir form. "I am quite ready to address all of your questions regarding our enemies."

… …

Frigga swept through the corridors to the Healers' Hall. Eir was waiting for her, as requested. "Well, can it be done?" she asked their goddess of Healing.

Eir smiled. "It can, and easily. She's not a normal human, her nervous system is, for want of a better term , wide open. From what your son tells me it is a combination of a natural mutation and the result of being experimented upon with what the healers of Midgard call psychotropic drugs when she was just past puberty. There will be little of the normal risks involved. She may grow faint as her body adjusts to the re-patterning of her nerves, but with some rest, all will be well."

"Good. My Loki has enough to vex him without worrying about his lady's health." She smiled at the thought that one of her stepsons had finally found a true and mutual love. Her mirth spilled over into a delighted laugh as it occurred to her that her youngest had finally and legitimately beaten the elder at something, and it was such a thing that was vitally important to his happiness.

"He will have no more to worry about in that regard, my lady. Should she avoid further injuries, the Lady Kara will live a long and healthy life once she has partaken of the elixir. Subject of course, to the limitations that face every living being."

"Of course, my friend. I thank you. I hope, that when the time comes, Thor will have a much easier time of it when it comes to love."

Eir looked troubled. "Ah, my queen? I hear tell that Thor is himself enamored of a mortal. And that his Midgardian is strictly a normal human. I do not think that his path, should the rumor be true, will be an easy one."

"I know, Eir. I have spoken to Thor, I am not so certain that this Jane Foster he cares for is truly his one love. He does not have the fire in either his heart or his expression that Loki bears for his Kara. Or for that matter, that Odin bears for me. But, we shall see if she is naught but a childish love or much more in due time. I shall not give much concern to it until such time as we must."

… …

Bruce groaned as the late morning sun nearly blinded him. He groaned again when he realized that he'd fallen asleep on the sofa in the game room watching movies. A warm weight shifted across his legs and he looked down, almost afraid of what he'd see. Oh. Crap. Yes, he was afraid, very afraid. His shirt was gone, as was his belt. The fly on his trousers was undone, and an underwear clad Darcy Lewis was sprawled across him, half in his lap, half snuggled into his side. Swallowing, he tried to remember what had happened in a glögg induced haze. "Oh my God."

"Humph, that's goddess, buster," Darcy informed him as she looked up at him with a smirk. The events of the previous evening passed by his staring eyes in a veritable flood of images. The movie viewing, that was clear, as was the snacking, the laughing, and the trip made by Darcy and Natasha to the kitchen to retrieve the stash of glögg that Kara had made before the Asgardians' departure. No one had had the heart to drink any of it since. Jane, Darcy and Natasha had loved the stuff, and Jane, of all people, had coerced them into a drinking game. He'd never been very good at those. Bruce's mind snapped back to the present as Darcy shifted more fully in his lap. "We never did manage to get to your room," she whispered as she nibbled on his ear.

"Oh. My. God." The rest of the evening came into crystal clear focus. Jane had snuck out at some point, looking distinctly queasy. Darcy had laughed, called the older woman a lightweight and had explained to the others that Jane ended up every serious session of drinking by running off, vomiting, and then falling into bed. At that point things had gone downhill. Well, depending on your point of view, he supposed. Pepper and Natasha had been all over each other, it was like watching a girl on girl soft porn flick. While Pepper was totally and obviously sloshed, he suspected Nat was still very much in control of herself. Her one comment when Pepper had protested that she couldn't be unfaithful to Tony was that Tony 'won't mind, so long as we let him join in'. That was not something Bruce really needed to hear.

"Geez, regrets already?" Darcy asked.

He stared down into her bright moss-green eyes. "Um, well…I-uh." Crap, he was so articulate this morning. "No, it's just that…hmm." Her full mouth was set in a mutinous pout. God, he could still feel those soft lips on his skin. "Wow. I'm kind of just remembering everything. I guess I drank so much that I didn't really know where I was or what had happened when I first woke up." He remembered now. God. In. Heaven. After Nat and Pepper had left, Darcy had literally jumped up and straddled him. Her glasses were missing and her lips…those lush, soft, oh-so-talented lips. "Oh. My. God."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Great. Fine. I get it, you wish it hadn't happened. No problem. I'll get lost."

She pushed away and started to climb to her feet. Oh, no. Hell no. Bruce grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down on his lap, then flushed when she twisted to glare at him. "No," he managed. "That's not it at all. I was, um, remembering how incredibly great it was."

Those fascinating lips curled up in a smile worthy of a cat that had enjoyed a dish of cream. "Oh, well, that's different."

"And that I never returned the, ah, favor," he managed to say without stammering…too much.

Those lips caressed his in blissful promise. "Well, then maybe we should head to your room so that little oversight can be corrected."

"You're sure?"

She grinned. "I really think we proved that the Other Guy doesn't react to extreme sexual stimulus last night. I'm sure." Darcy pulled back and once on her feet tugged at his hands until he joined her.

He smiled ruefully as they headed for the elevator with Darcy glued to his side. Oh boy.

… …

Pepper groaned. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. Just how much did she drink last night? The glögg was so sweet and yummy, she'd lost track. She smiled in spite of the jackhammer pounding the inside of her skull. It really did the trick of loosening her up, though. She didn't think she'd ever enjoyed foreplay so much before. Who knew she could come so hard from oral sex? Turning over Pepper wondered how to tell Tony that he had to do that more often. Wait. Tony was in Asgard. What. The. Fuck. Lifting her head slowly so that it wouldn't crack open, she opened her eyes to see the owner of the hand that was cupping her breast so possessively. Head forgotten she sat up. "Holy crap!"

The cap of burgundy hair lifted and Natasha Romanov stared up at her. "Mind not yelling? My head is splitting."

"What, how, oh crap," Pepper babbled as she tried to remember what had happened. She wasn't sure what exactly they'd done, but damn, her thighs and labia and backside were marathon sex-worthy sticky.

One sculpted red eyebrow rose. "What is sex, lots of it. How is oral…and toys. Your toy box gets an honorable mention, though you could use a bit more diversity." Nat frowned at her. "You didn't have a problem with it last night, you were begging for seconds and thirds, so I don't understand why you're saying oh crap now."

"I-I've never done anything like this before. I mean, not with another woman."

Nat snickered. "I gathered that. But you took instruction on cunnilingus very well. It didn't take too long for you to bring me to an intense orgasm. If you do half that well with fellatio, Stark doesn't deserve you."

Pepper sat back against the headboard. This was really too much to take in with a headache this bad. Still… "Was I really pretty good at it?"

"I never lie about sex. Well, not when I'm off duty. How about I put together my famous hangover remedy for us, then I can remind you just how good you are? Oh, but keep in mind…I'm better."

"Oh my God. Tony is going to blow a gasket."

"If we tell him." Nat looked thoughtful. "Of course, he'd just want a replay, with him in the bed with us."

"Oh. My. God."

"Of course, if he so much as mentioned that desire, Clint would turn him into a pincushion. No, we'd better keep this to ourselves." Nat slipped off of the bed and grabbed Tony's robe. "One hangover remedy for two, coming up. Then back to bed?"

Pepper stared at the other redhead for a minute, then wriggled a bit as she remembered just how good it had felt. "Sounds like a plan."

… …


	34. Chapter 34

"Bring it in here," Thor called over his shoulder as he strode into the chambers that had been assigned to his friends. He grinned as he looked around the room. All of his closest companions in Asgard, save Hogun, who was still with Loki, were here. "Ah, my friends, I have a mid-day meal coming for us. We shall just have time to eat before I must leave for Court." The Master Armorer's apprentice touched his arm, reminding him of the burden he bore. "Friend Tony, where shall we place Lady Kara's armor?"

"Uh, you can put it in there," the Iron Man said, pointing at his bedchamber. The man frowned. "What happened to it?"

Thor grinned. "My father was appalled that the lady had so little protection. He had our Master Armorer rebuild it. It now has the strength of Asgardian armor and has also been enhanced to repel common magical attacks."

"Why would he do that after I threatened him?" Lady Kara asked with a frown after the apprentice had departed.

"Father has forgiven that in exchange for your service to the realm in saving my brother's life. This gift he gives to you for saving mine. But fear not, he still feels you are owed for your service in battling our enemies, so when he asks what you would have of him as a reward you may still ask him to be healed of your injuries." He looked at the other Avengers. "Each of you are also to be offered a reward. Think well on what you would have. Tony, Loki advises that you should ask for the right to our metal-working processes. Should you guarantee that such would not be used by other than the Avengers, I believe he will grant this boon. For the Hawkeye and Captain Rogers, Neither Loki or I know your desires, but you should think upon them. The All-Father will announce this reward to you at the beginning of Court. He will grant you the length of Court to decide."

"Okay, I'm confused. I thought this thing today was called a Tribunal," the captain said.

"It is. The Tribunal will be held as part of this day's Court. Court is a formal gathering where official business of the realm is conducted, amongst that business is the Tribunal to decide Loki's fate."

"Got it. Thanks."

Servants began bringing in their meal as well as a larger table and extra chairs. Thor frowned as he noticed that Lady Kara was still hugging her knees where she sat huddled in a chair. He moved to her side and dropped down to her level. "What is wrong, my lady?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I'm just scared for him, Thor. I don't think I should eat anything. I was already sick once today thinking about what could happen."

He sighed and waited until the servants had left then stood. "My friends, eat, please. Lady Kara and I need to speak privately." He held out a hand for her and then led her out onto the balcony. They sat on the chairs and she turned to stare out at the mountains. "Kara, I have every confidence that my father will be merciful. He sees that Loki has changed, I am certain."

"Does he have the final say?"

"Well, no, not entirely. He must consider the recommendations of the Tribunal. He can lighten any sentence they recommend, but not dismiss it entirely."

"So if they recommend torture, it will only be a little torture?" she retorted.

"There will be no torture, well, not as you understand it. Truly, Kara. Do not worry yourself. Other than restitution, I do not believe Loki will receive any sentence greater than imprisonment."

"I've heard there's an ongoing sentence of imprisonment that has lasted five hundred years already."

Thor frowned. "Well, yes, but that was an extreme circumstance. The Æsir so sentenced opened the Bifröst for our enemies to travel at their will and great damage was done in three realms. There were hundreds of deaths of those who would otherwise have been virtually immortal. Treaties were negated, we quite nearly had a war between five of the nine realms. And the guilty man shows no remorse whatsoever; to this day he swears he will take revenge for his defeat. He will never be released, he is too great a danger."

"What if they think Loki is lying about his acceptance of responsibility? He _is_ your god of Lies." Her tone was morose and Thor could not blame her. Many would think that Loki lied. However, his brother no longer stood alone. "They won't believe me if I tell them he's not lying, would they?"

"No, my lady. But we do have a few truth-seers of our own. They will be present."

"Oh-oh, that makes me feel a little better."

"Good," he enthused. "Let us eat then, Court will be a long affair and you must keep up your strength."

… …

Kara tugged on the left hand glove…gauntlet, Sif had informed her it was called. The detailing on the new scaled armor was amazing. Each of the main components was edged with etchings of runes which held the magic that provided additional protection. The overall armor was far lighter and more flexible than even Tony's second version. He'd been amazed. After Thor had left another servant had arrived from Queen Frigga with a soft and supple leather cat-suit to wear under it. The woman had grinned cheekily when she'd informed them that it was 'a gift from the queen to Prince Loki's lady'. The leather was dyed a deep forest green. "Well, I guess I don't match you anymore, Tony," she said as she lifted the glittering helmet…helm, she had to start thinking of it in Asgardian terms or they were going to roll their eyes at her again.

Her honorary brother shrugged. "That's okay. I rock the red much better than you do anyway. The green looks pretty good with your hair. Besides, we didn't have any Avengers that wear green…Bruce doesn't count, when he 'suits up' he_ is_ green, he doesn't wear green."

"True. Hey, Steve, Hawk? If one of you can't think of anything to ask for, maybe we could get some clothes for Bruce that will stretch and shrink with him so he doesn't keep ending up naked?"

Steve and Clint looked at each other and shrugged. "I could ask for that," Steve said. "If they give Tony the metal working secrets, he can do some improvements to my uniform. Your armor is barely armor anymore but it's tough as all get out." Steve had smacked it with his shield earlier and had ended up all but flying backwards as he hadn't thought to brace himself.

"I can't think of anything either. I mean, Loki already gave me the almost bottomless quiver thing. Maybe something for Nat? Some kind of weapon? Tony can upgrade our suits, too, if he gets the armoring stuff."

"I think we can handle weapons and armor," Tony offered. "What about something to do with healing? You know, in case a battle goes really south and neither Kara or our _wonderful _modern medicine can do squat?"

"Now that's a good idea," Steve agreed. "In fact, let me go run down to their Healers' area and talk to some folks there and see if there's anything specific we should ask for. Fandral? You wanna come with me so I don't get lost and make sure I get to Court in time?"

"Of course, Captain. Sif and Volstagg can escort the others to the Great Hall."

Kara frowned at herself in the mirror as the two bounded off, both looking and sounding enthused. At least someone was in a good mood. "Loki's colors look good on you, Lady Kara," Sif said from behind her.

She turned to look at the tall woman. "Thanks. I hope he approves, I wouldn't want him to have anything more to stress about than he already does."

One corner of Sif's mouth quirked up. "He will be pleased. No woman has declared for him in such a public way before, and Fandral tells me that Loki loves you deeply. He will be honored you have chosen to do this."

"It's more Frigga who chose it, but yeah, if I'd known the significance, I'd have wanted it."

"Good." Sif frowned, looking uncomfortable. "Kara, I owe you my thanks. I had never considered what I'd gained from Loki's prank before, only what I had lost. All that I have truly lost, I think, is my vanity. And that, perhaps is a good thing."

"It's a very good thing." Kara grinned. "Besides, you're still beautiful, just not in quite the same way. Now you've got beauty with character."

"Character…hmm. Yes, I think I like that." Sif frowned as a messenger entered, muttered something to Volstagg and then left. "Is it time?" she asked the big man as he set down the haunch of meat he'd been enjoying.

"Aye, Lady Sif. Come, my friends, we must leave for Court."

… …

Loki left his bathing chamber fighting his nerves. He'd eaten only enough to keep his strength up. This was going to be a long afternoon. His dress armor gleamed and his dress leathers looked like new. He sighed as he lifted his dress helm. "Perhaps I should forgo this," he said as Hogun stood up to meet him. "This may make me look defiant or too arrogant."

Hogun frowned. "It's a formal Court. All wear full dress armor."

"Good point. I will be seen as trying to manipulate their feelings if I do not, hmm?"

"Agreed."

He nodded and settled the horned helm on his head. "Hogun, I am sorry you were forced to stay with me. I imagine you would…"

"I volunteered."

"You-really? Why?"

Hogun shrugged. "It's very little support for a-a friend, but I hope not too late."

Loki stared at the taciturn warrior as he finished what amounted to an eloquent speech. "No, not too late, and I thank you, friend." Hogun nodded and gestured toward the door. "Yes, I suppose we do need to go. Will they be allowed to attend, have you heard?"

An eyebrow lifted. "The Avengers were summoned."

"Ah. Good." He grimaced. "I think. Hopefully Kara will not seek to challenge the sentence when it is given. She needs Odin's good graces to be healed. I worry for her."

"Do not. The queen favors her."

"Truly? Good, then perhaps all will be well for her. That's all I really want from this."

"Foolish."

"What? In what way?" Loki was astounded at the statement.

"Do you not want the woman?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I want her. But I seriously doubt I'll be given that opportunity. I-I suppose I'm afraid to want more than her health. If I allow myself to hope for more, the disappointment will be far greater. I've suffered too many disappointments, Hogun. I do not deal well with them."

Hogun began shaking, finally Loki interpreted the motion as laughter. "Really?" the man choked out.

"Oh, shut up." Loki glared as Hogun continued to laugh silently.

… …

Tony stared at the vast expanse of the Great Hall. Wow, it was big. You could fit several square blocks of New York City within it, including the skyscrapers. "Jarvis, are you recording this?" he asked softly.

"Yes, sir," the AI responded in his ear. Tony sighed happily. The latest 'fix' by Kara was working. Now all he had to do was remember to not use any snarky nicknames. His lips twitched. Or just get used to Jarvis calling him Anthony. That might be easier. He darted a glance at his teammates. Steve was gawking unashamedly. Clint was, well Clint, eyeing all of the high places, looking for vantage points he could get to. Kara, like he did, had her visor closed. Tony just hoped she wasn't crying behind it. The new armor looked great on her. The green of the cat-suit was visible in strategic areas and would be a lot more evident once she'd removed the helm. "Sir, Prince Thor has just entered with Queen Frigga. It appears he will be on the dais with her and the king."

"Yeah, I see that, thanks, J." He put an armored hand on Kara's shoulder. "You got your ears on, sis?" he asked.

"Yes. Is the mike working?"

"It is, did you have any doubts?"

"Well, you did have less than five minutes to get it set up. So, no, not really."

He grinned at the humor that laced her response. Kara was hanging in there. Sif was stopping near the front of the hall. She nodded to an alcove and they filed into it. "Front, but not center. Not bad."

"This area is reserved for honored guests," Fandral told them. "The representatives of the other realms who do not hold crowns are in the alcove on the other side of the hall. You will need to remove your helms now, my friends."

Tony retracted his visor and looked across to see what looked like Tolkien versions of a Dwarf and an Elf, and three huge blue dudes that had to be frost giants. "Lemme guess, the blonde is a Ljósálfar? And the blue guys are Jötunn? What's the other guy?"

"The Ljósálfar is their youngest prince. The tallest of the Jötnar is Loki's half-brother, Helblindi, their crown prince. The Dökkálfar is their senior counselor. Technically, you would call the Dökkálfar Dark Elves, though they are not truly Álfar."

"Wait, I thought the Svartálfar were the Dark Elves?" Steve interjected.

"Yeeess, but truly, the direct translation is Black Elves. It matches their black hearts," Fandral said with a slight growl to his voice. Tony turned to stare. This was the nastiest tone he'd ever heard out of the would-be Valentino.

"We're not liking the Svartálfar much, even before yesterday's battle, huh, Fandral?"

"They have been forsworn before. I do not know why the All-Father has not placed their ruler in the alcove, I find it hard to stomach that he is going to give Malekith a sovereign's courtesy."

"Okay, what's that?"

"The realm sovereigns in attendance will enter immediately before the All-Father and will be seated to each side. This will include Frey, King of the Vanir and Hela, Queen of Niflheim, and apparently Malekith the Accursed. That one should be thrown into the Void, he is naught but evil."

"Fandral speaks truly," Sif agreed. "His presence on the dais will be an obscenity."

Horns were blown and a male and female figure walked out onto the dais from opposite sides. The male was big, blonde, bearded and muscular on the same scale as Thor, and wore a horned helm. Tony pegged his age as about halfway between Frigga and Odin. The woman was young, younger even than Thor, and she wore a green gown and a black horned crown. She had inky black hair and…oh. Crap. He darted a look at Kara who was staring at the woman. "Sif…is there something Loki forgot to tell us?" he asked.

Sif stared at him then her eyes widened as she looked at Kara. "Ah, perhaps." The woman uncharacteristically bit her lip.

"Out with it," Kara insisted.

"It was not really his choice," she finally said. "Angrboða, Hela's mother, is a powerful sorceress and she hid her form and seduced Loki when he was little more than a boy, before his own powers were fully developed. It was because of a prophesy by the Norns…they thought Hela would bring great discord to the realms. That was Angrboða's deepest wish."

"And has she?" Tony asked.

"No. Hela hates her mother. Angrboða has attempted to use and control her. She's rather impartial when it comes to Loki." Sif shrugged. "Mind you, Hela does not dislike her sire, she simply prefers to have little to do with any of the other realms."

"So, where's the accursed guy?" he asked as the horns were blown again. Odin stepped out from the back of the dais and strode to his throne. Everyone who had been seated stood and remained standing until the All-Father took his seat.

Sif looked around the hall. "Not here at all. This is likely a good sign."

… …

Kara bit the inside of her cheek as one of the people Sif had identified as members of the Tribunal called for Loki to be brought in. Loki had marched up the aisle, Hogun at his side, both of them in full dress armor. He looked strong and fearless, but she could feel the anxiety that wasn't betrayed by so much as a twitch of a muscle. Two guards had followed the men. After Loki and Hogun had bowed to Odin and then taken their places just off to left side of the dais in front of the alcove opposite theirs, the guards saluted and left. "I'm confused," she whispered to Sif. "Do they trust him to not just leave?"

Sif shook her head. "The Great Hall is enclosed by magic. No one can transport in or out without the All-Father's blessing. Even Loki is not much of a threat here, considering how many powerful Æsir are about."

She nodded. So much for hoping that the lack of guards was a good sign. Odin stood. "Before the Tribunal begins hearing testimony, we have Heroes from Midgard to honor." He nodded in their direction and Sif pointed toward the spot between them and the dais.

"Do as I demonstrated," she whispered. The four of them filed out, bowed respectfully, and then waited.

"These four heroes of Midgard voluntarily left their own lands, using an unproven mode of transportation and with no guarantee that they would ever see their homes and loved ones again to aid Asgard in our time of need. They not only brought the artifact that was used to close the enemy's gate, they fought valiantly, protecting our people, and in fact directly saved my son's life when he was struck down by Svartálfar magic users. People of Asgard and honored guests, I present to you Captain Steve Rogers, known as Captain America. Tony Stark, the Man of Iron." Kara bit her lip as Tony winced. "Clint Barton, the Hawkeye, and finally, Kara Gunnarssen, known as Hellbringer, who is not only a firestarter but a gifted empath and healer."

Thor stepped forward on the dais. "Three cheers for the Avengers, our Heroes from Midgard!" he bellowed. The crowd responded with calls of 'huzzah' and when the sound died down Thor nodded to them and stepped back beside Frigga.

"For their service to Asgard, I am minded to grant each of them a special boon. Captain Rogers, what would you have of me?" Odin asked, his form of address showing that he'd either been briefed or was more up on their customs than Kara had suspected.

Steve stepped forward and began the speech he had memorized. "Your majesty; in our role as guardians of Midgard, we often face enemies who are far more powerful than we, who do not fight honorably and whose actions and reactions cannot be predicted. As we are mortal, the likelihood that one of these enemies could inflict an injury that we cannot survive long enough to be healed from…well, it's honestly just a matter of time. I understand that your realm possesses the ability to imbue an object with magic that will allow a person's condition to be, um, frozen, so that they will get no worse before their injuries can be treated. If you would be willing to provide us with such a thing, we would be grateful." Kara smiled, Steve looked so relieved that he'd remembered it all.

Odin's lips twitched and his one visible eye crinkled in what might have been amused approval. "I will grant this boon. Lady Eir will see to it that you have an amulet that will contain this magic before you depart for Midgard." Steve bowed and stepped back. "Tony Stark, what would you have of me?"

Tony stepped forward. "Uh, your majesty," he managed with absolutely no show of snark or sarcasm. "I cannot help but notice that your realm's metalworking abilities eclipse even my own and mine are the most advanced on Midgard. I understand that you cannot simply give away your secrets for our entire realm to use, but I would ask that you allow me access to the knowledge to create metal alloys suitable for improving our armor so that we can do our jobs as guardians more successfully. I am prepared to guarantee that this knowledge will only be used by the Avengers, and that it will only be used for defensive purposes should you be so kind as to agree."

Kara blinked. Wow…a totally polite and respectful Tony. She hoped Jarvis was recording this. Odin frowned. "Forgive me for asking, but we do not know you or the worth of your guarantee. Tell me why we should trust you in this."

"That's a fair question. Several years ago I was involved in manufacturing weapons for our military and I wasn't too choosy about what kind of collateral damage they did. I had the lesson delivered to me, quite personally, that my choice to do this was, uh, morally bankrupt. I closed all of the factories that made weapons then reconfigured them to produce only defensive or protective items so that my workers did not lose their livelihood. My weapons researchers have been redirected to researching clean energy to help improve our world's environment. We've made great strides and will continue this work at least through my lifetime, hopefully longer if I find a like-minded protégé to take over the company when I retire."

"This device in your chest is an example of your clean energy, is it not?" Odin asked.

"It is, sir. And as I developed it to save my life when I learned that lesson I mentioned, it's a constant reminder to me of the wrongs I once committed."

The All-Father nodded. "Very well, Tony Stark. You will have the knowledge you seek and you will forgive us if we keep a close watch on you to ensure you are using it only as agreed. Else we would be in violation of our accords with other realms."

"I understand totally, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Sif hissed at him, reminding Tony to bow before he backed away.

"Clint Barton, what would you have of me?"

Clint looked uncomfortable. "Well, your majesty, I'll be one of the ones who will benefit from the, uh, boons you're granting to Stark and Rogers. So I'd like to ask something for another of the Avengers who wasn't close enough to our location to come with us here."

"Generous of you, very well," Odin said.

"This Avenger is, well, when he uses his special abilities his physical size fluctuates from about my height and weight to the height of the um, gentlemen from Jötunheim but with the muscular bulk of Thor or King Frey. This kind of results in unintentional uh, nudity as his clothing doesn't survive the transition. " Clint frowned as a wave of amusement swept the Great Hall. "If you either have some kind of cloth that will stretch with him, or some kind of magic that will allow his clothing to change size with him, that would be greatly appreciated."

Thor stepped up to Odin's side and held a hushed conversation with him. "Ah," Odin finally said. "This is your Hulk, the man powerful enough to injure a god with his bare hands."

"Yes, sir. He was instrumental in single-handedly taking down several of the leviathans that attacked New York."

"And he broke the connection our enemy had forced on my brother," Kara heard Thor say softly…for Thor.

Odin looked at Loki and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We have no such cloth and I am unfamiliar with any magic that might accomplish this. Loki, your research in the magical arts is second to none. Do you know of any spell that may do this?"

Loki looked startled to be addressed, then his eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities. "I believe so, All-Father, though I would need to check one of my books to be certain. It would have to be cast on an amulet for the man to wear. That way, regardless of what he was clothed in, its size would change with him. From what I understand, he does not always have enough warning of when he will need to change his form to change clothing."

"Fine. You will do this and present the amulet to the Hawkeye for his compatriot."

"Of course, my liege," Loki agreed with a bow.

"Clint Barton, if Loki can accomplish this, you will be given the amulet before you return to Midgard. If he cannot, we will ask you to choose another boon."

"Thank you, your majesty," Clint said, remembering to bow before he stepped back.

"Kara Gunnarssen, what would you have of me?"

She stepped forward and bowed, realizing how self-conscious the guys must have felt. "I have already received a gift from you, All-Father," she said. "This armor will do an amazing job of protecting me and is far more than I could ever ask."

Odin smiled. "The armor you wear so well was gifted to you in return for the gifts you have given me and my queen. Our sons would be dead were it not for your skills. Not even our goddess of Healing could have saved them. Additionally, Lady Eir tells me that you have shared the secret of how you healed them with her and now that she knows the method, she is confident that she will be able to replicate it. So, your gift to us continues. Anything within my power to give you is yours. Health, an extended lifespan, riches, anything I may give is yours."

Biting her bottom lip she made a decision that was sure to piss off not only Loki, but Tony, Steve and Clint as well. Too bad. This was supposed to be something _she _wanted. "Your majesty, I ask the boon of clemency for Loki." An agitated murmur surrounded her. "He was not responsible for the attack on Midgard and he tried to mitigate it as much as he could, we have proof. And he suffered unspeakable injuries and torture at the hands of our mutual enemy. Please, he has suffered enough, grant him mercy."

"No!" Loki shouted. "You need to be healed of your injury, your health needs to be restored. You will not sacrifice yourself in this way."

"Silence!" Odin bellowed. "You have not been given leave to speak," he told Loki who scowled back at him but subsided at Hogun's urging. "Lady Kara, why do you ask such a thing, when I am told you are afflicted with an injury that will mean your death?"

"I'm mortal, your majesty. I was always going to die eventually. And..." she swallowed the tears that threatened. "I cannot live knowing that someone else will suffer more who does not deserve it. For what Loki has done, many are culpable. It's a gross injustice that only he will pay for it."

… …

Odin glanced at Frigga. His beloved wife was right yet again. The human did love Loki and deeply. But, no matter, he could not grant this boon. "My apologies, Lady Kara, but this boon is not within my power to grant. The decision lies with the Tribunal. Choose something else."

The woman's already porcelain skin paled significantly and tears welled up in her eyes. Sif stepped forward and whispered softly in her ear. "You have a warrior's heart, cry a river inside, but do _not_ let them see the evidence."

Kara Gunnarssen glanced at Sif and nodded, blinking back the threatened deluge. "Then there is nothing you can give me, sir." She bowed and stepped back into the alcove with her friends.

"Kara," Loki hissed from his position on the other edge of the dais. "Ask to be healed!"

"I have asked for what I wanted," she hissed back. "If you are…gone, why would I want to live?"

"You promised."

Odin frowned. "Did you indeed promise to ask for healing, my lady?"

"No, I never promised that _**I**_ would ask to be healed."

"Do you call this lady forsworn, Loki?"

He groaned. "No, All-Father, I do not. I do, however, call the lady as much a trickster as myself. Those were indeed not her words, though that was the intent of the promise I tried to extract from her." He sighed. "Obviously, yet another thing at which I have failed."

Odin found himself biting the inside of his cheek to hold back a grin at Loki's expense. "I see. Well, then there is nothing we can do. Lady Kara, should you change your mind or think of another boon, you may ask it until the end of this Court." The woman nodded, but remained stubbornly silent. He frowned and turned towards Haakun, his most trusted councilor and the head of the Tribunal. "Lord Haakun, is the Tribunal ready to sit in judgment?" he asked.

"We are, All-Father. We have heard what evidence has been provided and would ask for clarifications."

"Very well." Odin stepped back and sat back down in his throne. "Ask what and who you will."

… …

Haakun stepped forward to address the populace. "First we would address Loki, born Laufeyson, raised Odinson."

Loki straightened as his name was called. His anxiety grew as Haakun specified 'raised Odinson' rather than 'now Odinson'. Ah, well. Did he expect Odin to still claim him after his failure to redeem himself? No, it was no more than he deserved. Hogun stepped forward with him, nodding when he glanced in his direction. "Steady," the warrior said under his breath. Loki nodded briefly and lifted his chin to look the councilor right in the eye.

"Your alleged crimes have been reviewed, several have been dismissed as others have claimed responsibility or the victims have agreed the charge to be unlawful. These charges remain. First, you are accused that unprovoked you unleashed the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters upon the people of Jötunheim, causing grave damage to their lands. Second, you are accused of traveling to Midgard, taking mental control of thirty-one mortals, then killing or caused to be killed eighty-four others. Third, you are accused of causing a gate to be opened to another galaxy, allowing aliens known as the Chitauri to invade the Midgard city of New York, causing incalculable amounts of damage and killing four hundred and twenty-three mortals. Do you contest any of these charges?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, but I have a correction to the second charge."

Haakun's eyebrow lifted. "And what is that correction?" he asked.

"I took mental control of only eleven mortals. The other twenty involved were hired and acted freely. I am responsible for killing or causing to be killed ninety-six mortals."

"Jesus Christ, you kept count?" Tony Stark's incredulous voice carried in the stillness of the Hall.

He spun to glare at the man. "I was responsible for their deaths, yes, they were mortal and would have died eventually, but I and no one else brought that death to them years sooner than it would have taken them otherwise. _Yes, I kept count_!" he snarled.

Hogun's hand gripped his upper arm firmly and caught his attention. "Easy," he breathed. "He meant no insult."

Loki nodded and looked back at Stark. He could see that the billionaire looked shaken. Knowing what he did of the man's background and the innocent deaths that haunted him, he could understand Tony's surprise. "I was there for every last one, Tony," he said. "There's a difference." Stark nodded and relaxed. Loki returned his attention to the councilor. "My apologies, Lord Haakun."

"None needed. Let the second charge be amended to eleven mortals controlled and ninety-six killed in the events that led up to the invasion." Several members of the Tribunal nodded agreement and the scribe made notes. "Loki, born Laufeyson, raised Odinson, what defense would you make for these charges?"

"I have none." He closed his eyes to the shocked expressions of his mother, his brother and his love as the hall erupted in pandemonium.


	35. Chapter 35

"Oh my God, what the hell is he doing?" Kara asked as she gripped Tony's armored hand.

Tony looked down. "Ease up, kid, you're going to hurt your hand." She looked down, her eyes widening as she noticed the grip she was using with the enhanced metal of her gauntlet had managed to scratch the suit. She stepped back with a flush. "I don't know what he's up to," Tony continued. "Jarvis, do we have the image file?"

"Yes, sir. I took the liberty of downloading all pertinent…"

"You're a lifesaver, J, maybe literally. Fandral, can we defend him?"

"No, but they will give any who wish an opportunity to speak of his character as part of sentencing."

"Uh…do we have to keep it strictly to that? If so, we may make it worse."

"Tony!"

He shrugged. "Sorry, Kara. Your boyfriend is a royal pain in the ass…no pun intended."

Fandral snickered. "No, the call for those to speak for him does not specify what you may speak about."

"Well I can speak of…" Kara began.

"No," Sif told her. "You, most of all, must not speak. It is obvious that you hold great bias in Loki's favor. You were also not harmed by his actions. It is best if the others speak."

"How about if I start, as our leader, and ask Clint and Tony to clarify points and show evidence?" Steve suggested.

"That is a good plan," Fandral agreed. Sif nodded her own approval and stepped back.

"As the accused offers no defense, the Tribunal will move on to sentencing," Odin announced. "Are there any who would speak on his behalf?"

Steve stepped forward. "I would!" he called out.

Odin frowned then nodded. "Speak then, Captain Rogers."

Sif pointed to the spot where they'd stood to speak before and Steve stepped up to it. "The Loki who came to Midgard through the tesseract, uh, Cosmic Cube as you call it, is not the same man who stands here today. I mean that both figuratively and literally. As you've been told, that Loki used the scepter he was armed with to take control of the minds of nearly a dozen of our people. One of them is here with us, Clint Barton, known as Hawkeye." He paused as Clint joined him. "When Loki took control of him, there was a physical change that we all noticed. His eyes shifted in color from a dark blue to a bright electric blue that matched the gem in the scepter."

He paused and Odin frowned again. "And that tells us what, Captain?" he asked.

"May we show you an image of it, sir, so that everyone can see what I mean?"

"Very well."

Tony stepped up. "Here is an image of Hawkeye immediately before Loki took control." He gestured and an image of Clint was projected onto a wide smooth-surfaced column from his suit by Jarvis. "This image was taken immediately after." Another image joined the first and showed Clint's eyes glowing an eerie blue. Gasps arose from the crowd. "After a run-in with another Avenger and several hard knocks to the head, Clint was back with us and back to normal." Clint stepped up next to the images and turned around so that everyone could see his eye color matched the first image.

"I see. The power of the scepter invading his body was visible in his eyes. Go on," Odin commanded.

"Here is a picture of Loki, immediately after he came through the gate." The images of Clint shrunk and moved to the bottom of the column and a large image of Loki was displayed, the electric blue clearly shown in his eyes.

"He is holding the scepter, could that not be a reflection of the gem?" King Frey asked in a rumbling voice.

"I'm glad you asked," Tony said. "Here is another image. No scepter, as you can see, same funky blue eyes. And a third image, taken in the same room, Less than an hour later, after Thor pulled Loki up out of a hole in the floor that the Hulk made by pounding Loki's body into said floor repeatedly. Or, you might say, after several hard knocks to the head." The third image showed a bruised and battered Loki…his eyes their normal green. "And finally, so you don't think the difference is because of the injuries, another image from after he returned to Ea…uh, Midgard and had spent a month healing from the injuries he received at the hands of our mutual enemies." This picture showed Loki standing tall and strong, a small sad smile gracing his lips, his eyes still their normal green. Kara crossed her arms over her stomach, trying not to react to the picture she knew was taken just before he returned to Asgard.

"Are you then saying that Loki was controlled by the enemy?" Odin asked.

"I was not a mindless tool under the control of our enemy!" Kara bit her lip at Loki's angry outburst.

Odin looked toward three Æsir who were standing on the opposite side of the dais from the Tribunal. The three conferred and one of them stepped forward. "Loki speaks the truth."

She rolled her eyes and walked up beside Steve, pulling away from Sif after using a quick burst of heat to warn the warrior to let her go. "Of course he speaks the truth, but no one has asked him the right questions," she told them. She ignored Loki's glare and kept her eyes focused on Odin. "Ask him if the Mad Titan and the Other that Loki and Iron Man killed yesterday were able to see and hear what he did during that time. And ask him if they had a backup plan if he did not appear to be doing as they expected."

Odin's eyebrow rose for a moment and he turned his attention back to Loki. "Answer those questions."

"By your law, I am not required to respond," Loki snarled.

"Prideful idiot!" Kara yelled before she could catch herself.

Odin frowned. "Fine. Let us assume then, for the sake of argument, that the answer, were Loki to give it, is yes. What difference should that make?" he asked them.

"All the difference in the world," Clint said. "When Loki took control of me, the _mental_ order he gave me was to always, and I quote 'fight the fight that is offered you, no more and no less'. Later, when he was escaping from our group, he gave me _verbal_ orders to, and again, I quote 'find Natasha Romanov'. Not capture her, not kill her, just to find her."

"That seems…odd," Odin said. He turned to glare at Loki as Loki started to interrupt. "You have forfeited your right to speak on this issue, keep silent."

"No kidding. Especially since Loki also knew that Natasha and I have a history, that she considers that she owes me her life, so if she could avoid it, there is no way in hell that she would try to kill me. So since Loki didn't order me to capture or kill her, and his previous order precluded me from trying to kill her if she didn't try to kill me, she was able to knock me unconscious and free me from his control."

"Why would he do this?" Odin asked, turning to glare down Loki again as the fuming god started to speak again. "If you do not keep silent until I give you permission to speak I will sew your lips together." Loki's eyes widened and he subsided, turning to stare at them sullenly.

"We don't think they knew what was going on in his mind, just what he saw and heard and that he did this for the same reason he waited to throw me out a window until I had my new armor ready to activate. It was also the same reason he had the Hulk dumped out of the sky over New York City. That freaking brilliant son of a…gun was herding us into the right place at the right time and in the right frame of mind to kick ass," Tony explained. "And not just the Chitauri, but his, too, to break him free."

Kara smiled as she saw comprehension dawning on the faces of several Tribunal members. She couldn't feel their emotions from here, but at least it looked like they understood. Loki felt embarrassed…and angry. "I see. Is there aught else you wish to say?"

Steve spoke up. "Yes sir. When he came to us over a month ago Loki was angry, argumentative, and just plain miserable to be around. By the time he left, we were all sorry to see him go, he'd changed so much. This is not the same Loki who came through the Cube. This isn't even the same Loki that fell into the Void, and we don't think he should be treated as though he was still that man."

"Very eloquent, Captain. Thank you." Odin looked out over the crowd. "Is there any other who would speak for Loki?" he asked. He frowned as Fandral stepped forward. "No, Fandral. I count your words in with those of the Avengers you spent time with. Anyone who was not on Midgard with Loki?"

"I saw something on the battlefield that must be said, All-Father," Volstagg offered. Odin nodded and the big man stepped forward. "As Thor lay unconscious, surrounded by Svartálfar magic users, separated from Mjölnir, we had little hope of reaching him before the enemy finished him off. Mjölnir answered Loki's need, Loki was able to wield the mystic hammer and destroy many of the enemy and then use it to destroy, with the man of iron's help, their leader."

Shock rippled through the hall as everyone digested that news. Thor's expression shifted from shock to joy. "I see," Odin said. "That is momentous, indeed. Will anyone else speak for Loki?" he asked.

… …

"I will speak for Prince Loki," a gravelly voice boomed from the back of the Hall. Tony looked toward the sound and saw the gold helm worn by Heimdall moving down the hastily created aisle. The man…god himself came fully into view a moment later. He stepped up to the spot they'd just vacated and bowed to Odin. "My liege, you tasked me with watching over Loki as he recovered from his injuries on Midgard."

"I did, indeed. What did you observe that you wish to share with the Tribunal?" Odin asked.

"I saw a man who grew in honor. A man who came to value those he previously saw as lesser beings. A man who has learned both to have and to be a friend. A man who has learned to love without expectation of being loved in return. A man who puts another's welfare above his own. I saw a man who changed, decidedly for the better. I now see a man who is deserving of being a Prince of Asgard."

"Wow," Tony whispered in Kara's ear. She glanced up at him and nodded. "Go, anti-Claus." He heard a clunking sound and looked down to where she had elbowed him. "You're going to get bruised inside that armor if you keep hitting me, you know."

"Hush," she whispered back as Odin asked if there was anyone else who wanted to speak, but received no further response.

"Very well, comments are hereby closed. Sentencing is now in the hands of the Tribunal," Odin declared.

They watched quietly as Odin called for other business and several people came up to petition him or to present items to him or the other Sovereigns on the dais. Tony was getting antsy and stared around the Hall, looking to see if there was any way they could get Loki out of there if sentencing went south. "Shit. There's no damn way," he groused quietly. He looked at Loki who was standing stiffly, staring at the floor, his face set in a pained grimace. Hogun was ignored as he tried to talk to Loki. Tony wasn't sure how Loki could ignore the guy, the novelty of the normally silent man speaking more than one or two words at a time would have caught his interest if it had been him.

"We'll have to wait until they move him, if we have to rescue him," Cap said. "Logistically, that's our only chance."

"What chance?" Kara asked. "Where are we going to take him? We can't get out of Asgard without Odin's help. There's nothing we can do," she whispered hoarsely.

"Don't give up yet, my friends," Fandral said. "The news of Mjölnir's favor shocked everyone, Heimdall's word carries much weight, and I noticed the members of the Tribunal paying close attention to your words and your images as well. All is not lost."

"Tis true," Volstagg rumbled. "Haakun was impressed, I could tell. I've hunted with him a time or three, I know his reactions."

"Well, let's hope for the best, then, because I don't know what the hell we can do if they come down hard on him." Tony said and sighed as Kara finally lost control of the tears that had been threatening since shortly after Court had begun. "Kara, hang in there. You heard Fandral. Don't give up hope, it isn't over until it's over." He frowned as Steve wrapped his arms around her. That was something he couldn't do in the damn suit.

"We're here for you, doc…Kara," Steve said quietly. "We'll find some way to fight it, they've got to have some kind of appeal process if they come down too hard on him."

Hawkeye caught their attention. "I think they've made a decision. Haakun just brought some kind of paper over to Odin and they're going over it," he told them. "They're talking in another language though, so I can't read their lips."

Tony looked up at the dais. Sure enough, Haakun was bowing and stepping away from Odin, leaving the king with a paper…no, that looked like real parchment, classy…or did they not have regular paper here?

… …

"Loki, born Laufeyson, now Odinson, come forward." Loki looked up sharply. Had he heard right? He moved forward, without Hogun this time as the man was, by protocol, obliged to remain where he was. His hopes rose, slightly. Surely Odin addressing him as 'now Odinson' was a good sign? "Crown Prince Helblindi Laufeyson of Jötunheim, come forward." Or perhaps it was not. He bowed and saw his half-brother do the same. "Prince Helblindi, do you contest the dismissal of charges in the death of your king and father?"

"I do not. My council has confirmed that succession has historically been accomplished through assassination or by outright challenge of the king. However, in light of the other charges, I do insist that my half-brother confirm that he abdicates his right to the throne of Jötunheim in this public gathering and that he do so again at a similar gathering in my realm."

Loki nodded. He didn't have much problem with that. "I do abdicate any right to the throne of Jötunheim until and unless the throne breaks its treaties and accords with Asgard. Should such happen, my abdication will be null and void. I will gladly repeat this to the people of Jötunheim, subject to a guarantee that I may come to do so without conflict and then leave safely."

Helblindi nodded. "Agreed, brother. You may bring whatever guards you wish should you doubt my ability to keep my word on this."

"Loki will bring whatever guards_ I_ wish to ensure he does only what he is instructed to do and no more," Odin interjected.

Biting back a smirk, Loki bowed his agreement; out of the corner of his eye he noted that his half-brother did the same. "As you command, my liege," he said.

"In the matter of the unprovoked attack on Jötunheim, we are prepared to announce sentencing. Prince Helblindi, the Tribunal has agreed to your terms for this." Loki frowned as Helblindi bowed again and stepped back. "Loki, you are hereby sentenced, with your powers otherwise bound, to use the Casket of Ancient Winters to restore the ice fields in Jötunheim to repair the damage your rash act has caused. You are also sentenced to surrender access to your personal fortune to pay restitution in goods to replace those destroyed by your acts there. What say you?"

"I will do all of this and gladly, All-Father," he managed. He looked over to his half-brother, who bowed again with what looked to be a pleased expression.

"In the matter of your actions on Midgard, the charges against you for the incident in their state of New Mexico are dismissed as regardless of intent, you provided Thor with the means to prove himself worthy of redemption. For the incident related to the invasion, you are sentenced as follows: First, your powers will be bound for the span of one hundred and ten cycles. One cycle for each mortal life for which you are personally responsible, one cycle for each mortal whom you controlled, and three cycles in restitution for the property damage that occurred. During this period, you will be required to reside primarily on Midgard, and assist the Avengers in defense of their world and people from any and all who threaten it."

Loki frowned. "With all due respect, my liege, how am I to defend anyone from anything with my powers bound?"

"The key to the binding of your powers will be in the possession of a suitable Midgardian who will act as your gaoler, and who will release your powers to you in times of need and who will then bind them again when the crisis has passed."

A Midgardian? Loki tried to imagine what Midgardian could possibly handle the power needed to do such a thing. His eyes widened as Odin turned and looked toward the Avengers. "Kara," he breathed.

"Kara Gunnarssen, known as Hellbringer, come forward," Odin asked. She stepped forward, her expression confused and wary.

… …

Tony's eyes widened. Oh shit. Seriously? He frowned trying to think of anybody else who might be able to handle this magic garbage. Hmm, no one affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. could do it, and while he'd heard good things about one of the mutant groups, he didn't know any of them personally and S.H.I.E.L.D. sure as hell didn't trust them. "Yes, your majesty?" Kara asked as she moved back into the spot they'd occupied before.

"We are minded to give you the key to control the bindings on Loki's power. You are the only Midgardian whose honor we trust that is capable of channeling the power this requires. Will you accept this task?"

She gasped and looked back toward them. Tony nodded at her. Turning back to face Odin she took a deep breath before speaking. "How long is a 'cycle' in Midgard terms?" she asked.

"One of your years. Time runs differently in each of the other eight realms and is…undependable to measure as our seasons are not governed by the movements of a planetary body. We find it convenient to measure time, when we must, by your years."

"Oh, so one hundred and ten years then. Well, I would agree but there are a few things that would keep me from properly discharging that duty," she said.

"Such as?"

Tony could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke again. "First, I'm dying. I have a year to live on the outside. Then what will happen?"

Odin's eyebrow rose and one corner of his mouth turned up in a definite smirk. "Lady Eir, is this true?" Odin asked their goddess of Healing. Oh boy, Kara was going to be pissed.

"Not at all my liege," Eir responded. "We treated Lady Kara's illness when she was brought to us, she is quite healthy."

"I-I thought you treated my migraine," Kara said, obviously confused.

"Yes, my lady. In Asgard we do not treat symptoms without treating the cause. It is a waste of effort."

Tony pressed his lips together as Kara's gauntleted hands fisted. Oh boy. He glanced over at Loki in time to catch him with his mouth hanging open in shock. "I-I see. So my nervous system damage is completely healed?"

"Of course."

"Hmm. It would have been nice if _someone_ had mentioned it to me." Tony flinched at her pissy tone. They were **_so_** not going to tell her that they'd already known about this but had been sworn to secrecy…no way in _hell_. "Okay, so, that's one of the issues resolved. However, we still have a problem. I'm mortal. I'll be too old to do this in maybe thirty years at the outside and I'll likely be dead of old age in twice that. That leaves you with a whole lot of years with no gaoler."

Odin smiled. "The binding of the key to Loki's power to you would have physical benefits. Your aging will slow to match his. That effect would be permanent, I'm afraid. If you wish to remain fully mortal, to eventually die of old age, I can see how that would be a problem."

Score! Tony thought. "Oh," Kara said. "Um, not really, I guess."

"Are there any other issues?" Odin asked.

"I have an issue with the choice, my liege," Haakun said. Odin nodded to the councilor. "What is to prevent Loki from killing her while the power has been loosed to him and then retaining it?"

"I would never do her harm!" Loki shouted. "I have given my word on that." Odin glowered at him. "This is not part of defense or character statements, All-Father. My forfeiture of defense does not take away my right to speak during sentencing."

Odin sighed. "True." He turned back to Haakun. "The ritual I intend shall bind them _fully_. If she dies, so shall he." Tony glanced at Loki to see how he was taking this. Yep, shocked…wait…pleased? Huh?

"No," Kara said. "That's not fair. I'm human and not particularly durable; even if you do extend my lifespan, I could get killed some other way and it wouldn't be fair for Loki to lose his life if I manage to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Kara, let it go," Loki hissed.

"Then it shall behoove him to see that you are well protected. This is not negotiable, Hellbringer," Odin told her sternly.

"But it's not…"

"Damnation, woman, it is _fine_, please just agree," Loki grated. Wow, the Lokester had _his_ puppy dog expression beat by miles, Tony thought. "Kara, I am happy to accept this, I swear to you," Loki continued.

She sighed, lifted her hands in frustrated surrender and turned to them. "Guys, since only Nat and Bruce stayed home we've got a quorum here. Is it okay with the three of you? You're the ones who had to fight him before, can you deal with Loki working with you and being around all the time?"

Cap looked at him and Clint. "I'm fine with it, Clint, will you be okay?"

"Yeah, sure. It'll save us a lot of trouble," he said as he glanced around the room with a smirk.

"Tony, you're okay with it, right?" Tony rolled his eyes and nodded. Cap looked back at Kara. "It's fine with us, so that makes it your call since you'll be the one with the responsibility."

"Thanks, Steve, guys." She turned to face Odin. "Okay, I accept. Now what?"

That sneaky son of a bitch was smirking full out now. No, not Loki, Odin. What. The. Hell. Tony nudged Sif. "What's going on?" he whispered.

She shrugged. "I-I'm not certain, but our queen seems pleased."

No shit. Frigga was positively beaming. Thor was still frowning, so he hadn't been clued in on anything, but Loki? Tony seriously doubted Bambi had known going in what was going to happen, but it was apparent he'd figured it out. "Okay, I guess we wait."

"Loki, born Laufeyson, now Odinson. Kara Gunnarssen, known as Hellbringer, come forward," Odin ordered.

Tony watched as Loki moved to the center of the area in front of the dais and held out a hand for Kara. She took it and he guided her up to the step just below Odin's level. "Remove the gauntlets, love," he heard Loki whisper. Kara tugged them off and looked around for a place to put them. Loki held out his free hand for them and then tossed them to Hogun.

Odin looked down at the two of them, and then nodded at Eir. The healer stepped forward holding an ornate goblet. "To key Loki's bound powers into your keeping, we will need a bit of your blood…and his," she said as she stopped in front of Kara and held out a small knife. Loki reached for the knife, nicked Kara's thumb and let a few drops of her blood drip into the goblet, then added a few drops of his own. Once finished he handed the knife back to Eir who touched each of their thumbs briefly then stepped back and held the goblet up to Odin.

The old god held one hand over the goblet and a golden glow emerged and then changed into a mist-like form that seemed to rain down into its bowl. Frigga stepped up to him holding a fancy pitcher and poured liquid that looked like the mead they'd been served at meals into it to join the blood and the golden mist. Odin swirled it around then looked back down at Loki. "Loki," he began. "Do you agree to be bound to this woman, Kara, now and forever?"

"I agree," Loki said. Tony couldn't see his face, but he could hear the smugness in his voice…and why the hell did this seem so…son of a bitch. He nudged Sif who was staring at the dais, her mouth hanging open. Thor looked similarly surprised, but his open mouthed gawking turned into a huge grin as Tony watched.

"Kara, do you agree to be bound to this man, Loki, now and forever?" Odin asked.

"Holy shit, Kara, don't argue," Tony muttered as Kara frowned at Odin and then gave Loki a questioning look. Loki nodded at her, and now Tony could see the slight but very smug smile on the pain in the ass's face.

Kara sighed and looked back at Odin. "Yes, I agree," she finally said.

Odin nodded and held the goblet out to Loki who took it and sipped from it before handing it to Kara. "You'll need to finish it all, my lady," Eir said from the side. "That is what will allow you to hold the key."

Nodding, Kara drank the remainder of the liquid. Loki took the goblet back from her and handed it to Odin, smug grin still in place. "The bond is complete," Odin announced. "Court is ended. We shall gather again this evening to begin the celebratory feasting!"

Tony shook his head as the populace erupted in cheers. Thor was grinning like an idiot. Son of a bitch. "Tony?" Steve asked. "Did they just, uh…"

"Pepper dragged me to one of her friends' pagan wedding, if I'm remembering it all correctly, yeah, they did."

"Geez. I don't think Kara knows."

"Me either. We are going to see some fireworks and our boy Loki is going to be couch man."

… …

Kara stared at Odin. What the hell? Who celebrates their son's…well, adopted son's sentencing for crimes with a feast? Thor came bounding over to them, pulled them both into an all but crushing embrace and bellowed "Congratulations, brother!"

"Thor, you're going to hurt Kara, ease up," Loki groused.

"Oh, sorry, my lady. This is such a glad happening!"

"Welcome to the family, my dear," Frigga said from behind Thor's bulk.

"What?" She frowned at Loki who wore a smile worthy of a cat who'd gotten the canary. "Loki, you'd better start talking, now. I'm getting pissed."

He chuckled. "Are you getting dizzy at all, love?" he asked.

"Should I be?"

"Ah…Eir, she should be, yes?"

"She will be shortly," Eir confirmed. "Perhaps you'd best take her back to your chambers so that she may rest until the feast while her body adjusts."

"_Perhaps_ someone should explain to me just what the hell happened that everybody but me seems to know about," she grated as she saw the guys coming towards them with ear to ear grins. Thor's friends were close behind and they were also smiling suspiciously.

"Congratulations, my brother." Kara looked back at the owner of the sharp voice that did not belong to Thor. Oh, Prince Helblindi. The Jötunn crown prince towered over all of them. The top of his head was about even with the top of Odin's helm though the king stood another step higher. "I have heard much of your lady's power. She is a fitting bride for the son of two kings."

Bride? "Bride? **_Loki!_**"

The damned man was still smiling. "Yes, love?"

"If you don't start explaining, you're going to have to deal with everyone seeing you curled up on the ground screaming in terror. You've got three seconds."

"Ah, don't be hasty, Kara. I'll explain. Ah…" she frowned at his suddenly nervous look.

"You have won yourself a fine wife, Loki," she heard Heimdall rumble from the aisle. Her jaw dropped as the light bulb finally flared into life.

"Did you…did we…holy crap. Damn it, Loki. Did you know about this?" she demanded.

"Not until it was happening, love, I swear. Aren't you happy?"

She sighed at his confused expression and noted the thread of hurt crawling through him. "Of course I am. I just would have appreciated knowing what the hell was going on. I mean…getting married is a big deal. It…I guess I…oh God," she said as the room started to sway around her.

"Kara, are you…"

… …

"…feeling dizzy?" Loki asked his new wife just before she began to collapse. He caught her and swung her up in his arms. "Good timing," he muttered as Thor frowned. "Hopefully by the time she's recovered she won't be so terribly upset."

Odin chuckled from above them. "Blame it on me, son. I was quite deliberately vague as to my intent."

"So you were…father." He frowned and sighed. "Thank you. I will do my best to be worthy of the chance you have given me."

"You were already worthy, Loki. You have proved that to us all. Go, take your wife to your chambers, let her rest. We'll understand if you arrive late at the feast…it will go on to all hours tonight, we have much to celebrate between a great victory, a new alliance with Midgard's greatest heroes, reaffirming alliances with many of the other realms, and your wedding."

"I'll try not to dawdle too much. She's missed knowing about the ceremony in advance, if she misses her wedding feast I shall never hear the end of it." He grinned and carried Kara from the hall as laughter and congratulations followed them.

"Hey, ice man, where the hell are you going with my sister?"

Loki rolled his eyes. Stark was going to regret that…again. "Anthony, are you a glutton for punishment?"

The man shrugged. "I decided it would be easier to deal with Jarvis calling me Anthony than to give up the nicknames. Seriously, what the hell? You people don't ask a girl's family for permission to marry her?"

"Technically, Kara was asked and she did ask all of you. If that wasn't enough, blame Odin. The father of the groom is responsible for such things, not the groom himself."

"Oh, so _now _you're claiming him. Convenient."

"He's claimed me, Tony. Even after all I've done."

"Yeah, he sure did, Lokes." Tony shook his head with a smile. "So, why did she pass out?"

"Hmm? Oh, the elixir, it, well, in addition to binding my powers to a key under Kara's control, it is, hmm. Reworking her, well, everything just a bit. That's what will make her as immortal as I am."

"Well, shit. I wasn't imagining that part, then?"

"No. I won't have to watch her grow old and die." He frowned. "Though we will have to stand by and watch it happen to all of you. I'm sure she won't be too pleased about that."

"She'll have you. You'll help her through it. So, how long will she be out?"

"A few hours, I think. She should be fine by early evening if not sooner. Her nervous system is already advanced enough and that is usually the most dangerous part of this process."

"Dangerous? Wait…nobody said it would be dangerous for her. I would have remembered that."

"Because it is not. As I said, the dangerous part would be the adjustment of the nervous system and hers needs no adjusting. Don't worry, Tony. Would I risk her life for something so selfish?"

"Definitely not. Okay, keep us posted, 'kay?"

"I'll send word as soon as I know more. And Tony? Thank you. You are a good friend."

"Damn straight, I am."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Okay, have you all recovered from the last chapter's heart attacks and ugly tears now? The story is not yet over…there is more to come! Thank you for all of the reviews and encouragement, they mean everything to me!


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Notes:** Yes, it was better that Loki didn't speak. He knew darn well that everyone would assume he was trying to manipulate them. Of course, he thought he knew that no matter what was said that his butt was grass and Odin was a lawnmower. Surprise, surprise! But, as happy as last chapter ended, things can still go wrong…cue ominous music.

… …

Kara groaned as she fought her way back to consciousness. Fainting was starting to become a habit, one she did not care for in the least. She forced her eyes open and nearly passed out again as the room refused to come into focus. "Crap," she muttered. "Why does everything look so weird?"

The surface she was on moved slightly and a familiar lean hand stroked her cheek. "Keep your eyes closed for a bit yet, love. You haven't finished adjusting yet. I'm surprised you are even awake."

"Why was I even out? Did…oh. That mead and magic thing I drank. Okay, what the hell is it doing to me? By the way, I'm still pissed," she warned him.

Her infuriating new husband had the nerve to laugh. "I know you are. But truly, this was not my fault. My parents concocted the scheme after they realized how much we loved each other, and how much my attitude had changed."

"But what if the Tribunal had recommended something else as a sentence; would Odin have overridden them? Wait…your _parents_? Suddenly they're your parents again? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

She waited several long minutes for Loki to answer. Finally he sighed and she felt him stretch out beside her and pull her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. "After you fainted, Odin…after everything I've done, Kara, he still calls me his son." Her heart melted at the wonder in his voice and she twisted so that she could hold him as well. "He said I was worthy."

"Good, I'm glad he finally pulled that spear of his out of his ass so that he could bend down from his lofty perch and see that," she grumbled.

"Gungnir," Loki supplied. "And leave be, Kara. I do not want bad blood between you. He has given us a lifetime…a much longer lifetime together than we could have hoped for else."

"I know. I-I just would have liked to know what I was agreeing to." She grimaced as she felt the hurt and uncertainty running through him again. "I love you, and I love the idea of us being married but, I kind of feel like I've missed out on the…hell. You wouldn't even know what kind of things we do back home when people decide to get married. There're all sorts of traditions and planning and parties and such that a girl looks forward to, and I didn't get to do any of it." Kara felt the hurt melt away but guilt replaced it. She frowned. Why was she picking his emotions up so clearly when she wasn't even trying? "Um, Loki?"

"Yes, love?" he said softly, one hand tracing down her cheek to cup her jaw.

"Was this elixir supposed to enhance me in any way other than helping me to be able to handle this key thing?"

"I-I suppose it could. Why?"

"My empathic abilities seem to be stronger. Either that or I'm not automatically shielding anymore, which is possible…but I don't think that's it."

"Hmm. We'll have to ask Eir. You will, eventually, grow physically stronger. But that should take years, not hours. As time goes on your muscle and skeletal density will gradually increase to near Æsir standards. Though from what I've seen in the past that would take several decades to even become noticeable." He set her on her back and pulled away. "Let me send someone for her. As I said earlier, you really should not have awoken yet."

"Okay. It would be kind of bad if my pyrokinetic abilities increased too, I think. Oh boy."

"Oh boy, as you put it, indeed. Just rest, Kara, I'll go send a messenger."

… …

Loki stepped out of his chambers and looked around with an annoyed frown. Not a servant in sight…but no guards either, which was an improvement. He strode down the hall to Thor's door and knocked. It opened before he'd finished. "Brother! Why are you not with your lady wife?" Thor asked.

"She's awake and I'm worried, I don't want to leave her alone long enough to find a messenger, could you find someone to summon Lady Eir?"

Thor frowned and wrapped an arm around him, walking him back to his own door. "I'll go myself, t'will be faster. What shall I say is worrying you?"

"Other than her being awake hours before she should?" Loki shook his head. "Her empathic abilities seem to have increased. If they are stronger, we worry that her more dangerous abilities may be as well. That…"

"Gods. Yes, that would be an issue. I'll find Lady Eir, try not to worry." Loki staggered slightly as Thor clapped him on the back and ran down the hall.

Shaking his head he went back into his chambers and straight to the bedchamber. Kara had tossed off the bed clothes and her body was covered by a light sheen of sweat. "Tell me what's happening, Kara."

"Hurting all over, and I'm hot…trying to drop my temperature, but it's not working. Maybe a cold shower?"

He frowned. "We don't have showers such as you have on Midgard. I'll cool the bathwater." He hurried into the bathing chamber which, like all of the royal apartments, held what amounted to a small wading pool that was used for bathing. It was fed by hot springs and cleverly designed plumbing which forced the water to flow into and out of the large tub, keeping it constantly renewed. He turned the valve which allowed the ongoing flow to its off position. Once the water stilled, he concentrated, shifted his form and dipped a hand in the water. Steam rose for a moment before the coolness spread. Shifting back he tested the water's temperature. While it wasn't frigid, it was certainly well below even an Æsir's body temperature. That should do.

Kara was sitting up on the bed, her arms folded across her stomach, hugging herself tightly when he returned. Reaching out for her, he flinched and pulled his hand back. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'm too hot for you to touch…and I still can't see."

"Do you think you can walk?" She nodded miserably. "All right, move in my direction, I'll tell you when you reach the edge of the bed." She crawled along the mattress as he watched carefully. "Stop. Sit down, swing your legs around, the edge is about a hand span in front of your fingers. Kara reached out and felt the edge of the bed before sitting and then she managed to get turned around and her feet dangling a bit above the floor. "There will be a slight drop, so take care as you slide off." He grabbed a tunic he'd left over the back of a chair and prepared to catch her if necessary. She wobbled a bit, so he used it to steady her until she was standing firmly.

"Okay, I think I'm good to walk now," she told him.

"Good, love. Walk towards me, just follow my voice. If you feel like you're going to fall, I'll catch you, don't worry." She took a hesitant step forward and he began to back up, guiding her with words of encouragement toward the tub.

"Brother? What are you doing?"

Loki spared a glance for Thor, Lady Eir pushed past him, her gaze concerned. "She can't regulate her body temperature, it keeps rising. I can no longer safely touch her. She thought a cool bath might help."

Eir frowned and stepped up to Kara, cautiously holding out a hand. "I do not know if that will help, but I do not believe it will hurt. If she gets much hotter, we will have a problem with anything flammable touching her, so this is likely a wise precaution." Eir gave him a reassuring smile. "There's nothing in her energy that suggests this is harming her, it is likely simply the way her metabolism works."

"Kara, keep following me," Loki told her. "Just a few strides more, love."

"Okay…just don't touch me with that cloth again, I don't..." she wobbled and straightened again.

He frowned and decided to see if he could get her in the water in his Jötunn form without excessive injury. Shifting forms again, he quickly stripped. Thor's eyes widened. Eir nodded. "Good thought. It should insulate you for a moment or two."

"Exactly. Kara, I've shifted, this might hurt both of us a bit, but I'm going to grab you and pull you into the water quickly and then back off, ready?"

"Um, okay," she whispered, wobbling again.

Loki looked at the tub, gauging the distance and angle to move then turned back to her. Quickly taking her collapsing body into his arms, he got them into the water in mere seconds and settled her on her knees, arms hanging over the edge to keep her from slipping under. Hissing in pain, he backed off. The water began to freeze around him in moments, but the ice traveled only so far before it became steam as her still overheating body all but boiled the water around it. "How much more of this can she take?" he asked, horrified at his own helplessness.

Eir had knelt down in front of Kara, her hands up as she felt his lady's energy. "I am still not finding any problem, Loki. I do not understand why this is happening."

Loki glared as Odin and Frigga came through the chamber's door. "This is your doing," he snarled. "If you wanted me dead, you should have simply executed me, not murdered an innocent woman to accomplish it. Or did her half-hearted threat frighten you so very much that she had to die?"

His so-called mother's expression was distraught, or so he was meant to think. She had played him as skillfully as Odin. The old man shook his head, also pretending distress. "You are frightened and striking out in your pain, Loki. I will forgive your accusation. But I urge you to think. If I wanted your wife dead, I would not have allowed Eir to heal her previous damage. If I wanted you dead, I have had ample opportunity to accomplish it without allowing the people to see how much you had changed and how much you deserved to be forgiven for your actions. Should the two of you die now, I alone will bear the blame and I shall lose the confidence of all of the Nine Realms."

Frowning, he considered the words. No, that could not…or could it? He shook with the pain of watching Kara's suffering, and discovered something surprising. Jötunn cannot cry. His eyes ached, yet no tears emerged. "I cannot even cry for her," he told them, feeling lost. Loki stared at the man who had raised him. While his frigid form could not cry, the Æsir King could…and was. "Can we do nothing? Is even the All-Father helpless to save her?"

"Loki, we do not know that she is dying," Eir insisted. "Except for the overheating, everything seems normal, her heart beats strongly, and she breathes well. Please calm yourself."

"How can I be calm? It is all on me. Had I never started any of this, she would be well, not fighting for her life. Everything I touch I destroy…I truly am a monster."

"Stop that this instant!" Frigga snapped. "That is not true and I will not have you believe such a thing."

"I-I'm sorry…I feel so useless."

… …

"Brother, you've never been useless," Thor grumbled and then sighed as Loki glared at him. Honestly, his younger brother made such drama of things. He frowned, this time at himself. Loki's wife was in great distress, that was worthy of the drama. "Be strong and calm, Loki, that is what you can do for her," he offered.

Loki stared up at him with the disconcerting blood red eyes of his Jötunn form. "I am trying," he shot back in an annoyed tone. Thor grinned. If his brother was taking the time to be annoyed with him, then he was calming and thinking instead of reacting. "Eir, she was also in pain, enough to complain about when she is not one to do so, should that be happening?" Loki directed to the healer.

Eir sighed. "No, it should not. Normally, a mortal would have a headache and itching as a result of the rapid changes to their nervous system. But Kara's nervous system required no change, so this is a mystery."

Thor frowned as he thought of what he knew about preparing mortals for lives in Asgard. "Wait…Lady Eir, if Kara's nervous system needed no growth, would the magic perhaps move on to other bodily systems?" He took a step back as all four of them turned to stare at him. "It was just a thought," he muttered. "I know little of such things."

Loki was shaking his head; his brother must be thinking him an idiot again. "Thor…if I ever call you an idiot again, remind me of this moment." Thor stared back in shock. "Eir," Loki continued. "Do you think perhaps…?"

The goddess of Healing's eyes widened and she scanned the panting redhead again. "It's possible."

Amazing…had he guessed right? Thor was so lost in that unique feeling that he almost missed it. The ice was spreading closer to Kara's body and rapidly. "Brother, shift back, she's cooling down!" His brother's skin began to pale and he brought his fisted hands down on the ice that hemmed him in. It shattered and he began to push towards his now shivering wife. "Forgive me for laying hands upon her, Loki," Thor said as he grabbed a towel and pulled his new sister from the tub, quickly wrapping it around her cooling body.

"Of course," Loki returned as he continued to push the ice aside so that he could climb out as well. "Go ahead and take her back to our bed and get covers on her, if you would."

Nodding, Thor scooped the woman up and carried her out to the bedchamber, then stepped back so that his mother and Lady Eir could attend to her. He returned to the bathing chamber, collecting Loki's breeches and undergarment as he went. "She doesn't look like she's in pain any longer," he offered as he handed them to Loki.

"Perhaps the crisis has passed, then." Loki pulled on the garments and hurried into the other room.

Thor stopped to look at his father. Odin seemed troubled. "What is wrong, father?"

"Events of import rarely go smoothly, regardless of how carefully or well you plan. It is a lesson I still have difficulty with, it's no wonder that Loki has not yet learned it." The elder god smiled wryly. "And you have learned how to reason without panic, even when the matter is one of which you know little. I'm pleased to see it."

"Loki would have thought of it soon enough," Thor defended his brother.

Odin's smile widened. "I know he would have. I do not disparage him." His eyebrow rose. "I can give a compliment to one son without criticizing the other, you know."

"Honestly, it has not often happened that way, father," Thor said.

"I know it. And that is my failing. Come, let us join them."

… …

Loki found himself hovering while Eir completed her examination. Her hands were moving head to toe as she thoroughly checked Kara's progress. She gasped as her hands halted above Kara's abdomen. "What's wrong?" he asked as worry shot through him yet again.

"I-well, nothing is wrong, actually. But this is unprecedented."

He tried to hold back his annoyance but knew it had to be showing. "What is unprecedented, _my lady_?"

Eir glanced up at him, her lips quirking at his impatience. "Thor?" she asked as his brother entered with his…their father. "Did she seem any heavier to you?"

Thor's eyebrows rose. "I would not know, I've never felt her weight before."

"I should hope not," Loki muttered before he could stop himself. He sighed. "My apologies, I'm very much on edge."

Thor grinned. "As you should be with your wife being unwell."

He nodded and leaned over the bed, sliding his arms under Kara and lifting carefully. His eyebrows rose as he felt the unaccustomed weight and he set her back down again. "She is substantially heavier," he told Eir. "Not nearly the weight of an Æsir woman, but still, half again as heavy as she was, I think."

Eir nodded. "Thor was right. The magic has advanced the other changes since her nervous system was already more than adequate. What should have taken two decades has taken mere hours." She looked over her shoulder at Frigga and Odin. "She's already developed a rudimentary meng mein and her bone and muscle density has increased a bit."

Loki stared up at Odin; his father was frowning thoughtfully. "She'll have no difficulty at all holding the key, then," he said. "Son, I do think you'll need to take her to Midgard briefly before you go to Jötunheim . Perhaps to one of their desert areas where her fire can do little harm regardless of its strength as she will be able to access and control far more power than she could before."

"I cannot take her anywhere if she is holding my power from me."

"Accompany her, then. The Bifröst is stable enough to send the both of you and retrieve you later."

"Perhaps we should use the Cube and have Thor escort us. It would reassure the governments of Midgard. We could take the other Avengers back at the same time," he suggested.

Odin nodded. "We'll discuss it on the morrow."

"All-Father, Prince Loki," Eir began. "She appears to be stable now."

… …

Darcy stretched as best she could under the circumstances. Not that she had any complaints. She enjoyed waking up with a bed partner curled around her possessively. Grinning, she ran a hand through Bruce's untidy dark brown curls. Despite his anxiety about controlling 'the other guy', his performance hadn't suffered…not in the least. Shivering as one of his strong hands kneaded her butt she lifted her head to look at the digital clock set in the wall. Wow, almost dinner time. No wonder she was starving. "Hey, big guy. I'm hungry. What do you say we go make some dinner?"

An equally dark brown eye opened and peered up at her. "Is it dinner time already?" he asked with the cutest befuddled frown.

"Yep, and we missed breakfast and lunch." She snickered. "Jane has probably been searching all over for me. I wonder if Pepper and Natasha have surfaced yet?"

He groaned. "I am not hearing that. I'm pretending I didn't see it." Darcy giggled as he shuddered. "Seriously, Darcy. The fecal matter will hit the rotating device if Clint finds out. Particularly if Tony finds out first." Bruce sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "I can picture Tony getting pinned to the wall by arrows through his Armani suit."

"Humph. Birdy boy needs to lighten up. Fun is fun, it doesn't have to mess with love."

"He's an assassin. I think not ever lightening up is in his job description."

"Nuh uh. Ex-assassin. He's a sharpshooting Avenger now."

Bruce stared at her. "I don't think he'll ever lose the assassin's edge…I don't think either of them will, they've known nothing else for far too long."

"Well, then he'll just have to learn how to deal with it. You've learned how to deal with 'the other guy', that had to be a hell of a lot harder." Her grin snuck back. "Speaking of harder things…" she said, playfully stroking him.

"God. No, dinner first. If I don't get a good meal in me, I'm going to be cranky."

She scooted off of the bed and grabbed her clothes. "Yeah, cranky isn't such a good idea."

… …

Bruce stopped short as he reached the kitchen. The volume of chatter was almost enough to make him lose his appetite. Darcy had gone on ahead as he needed to check test results and start another test run so those results would be ready for him in the morning. There were five, count 'em, five women talking over each other around the kitchen table. Okay, to be fair, Jane, Pepper, Darcy and Beth were doing the bulk of the talking. Nat was confining herself to the occasional pithy remark. He looked around. No sign of Erik…but hey, he couldn't blame him. If food wasn't a current priority, he'd turn tail and run himself. "Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty," Jane said with a sly grin. He closed his eyes and dug deep for the calm. "Cat got your tongue?" she continued in a teasing tone.

He decided to go with it. "No, that was Darcy," he said matter-of-factly and enjoyed the reactions. Darcy was absolutely preening, Beth's eyes had widened and she giggled, Jane bit her lower lip in an effort to avoid giggling. The other two? Pepper had dropped her head into her hands and Natasha was sitting back, one corner of her mouth curled up into a smirk. "I don't suppose there's any food already prepared?" Silence greeted him and he sighed. "I knew that was too much to hope for."

"Pepper called in a delivery order, it should be here soon," Darcy told him as she pulled out the chair next to her. "Come on, sit down and don't be a grumpy pants. I'll get you some coffee?"

"No thanks, caffeine is not my friend. I'll get my herbal tea."

"Oh, is that yours? Cool, I'll get it. I usually have it in my cupboards for after finals, when I need to come down from the caffeine overload from cramming." She popped out of her chair, grabbed his hand and steered him to the empty seat. "Sit down, chill, and I'll get it ready for you. Do you like anything in it?"

Hmm, this was nice…but when was the other shoe going to drop? "Um, just a touch of honey. There's raw honey right behind the tea."

"I'll bring it over so you can add your own." Darcy patted his shoulder as he sat and then nuzzled his jaw, licking his ear as she pulled away. He could picture the playful grin she was no doubt wearing.

"So, I hear you all had a good time last night," Beth said, sounding suspiciously innocent. Bruce stared at her for a second, his mouth twitching when her eyes widened and she suddenly blushed. "Um, I meant when you were watching the rest of the movies after I had to take off," she muttered as her eyes dropped to the table.

No wonder she had so much patience for Steve's habit of blushing, she wasn't that much past the easily embarrassed stage herself. Cute. "Yes, the movies were fun. I think I'm going to take it easier on the glögg next time, though." He winced as a mug of tea was almost slammed down in front of him and looked up at Darcy's annoyed expression. "I'd really like to avoid the hangover," he explained.

"Oh, well, that's okay then." She set the jar of raw honey down far more gently and held out a spoon. "Do you like Thai food?"

"I like nearly everything. I take it that's what was ordered?" She nodded. "Sounds good. I'll eat almost anything except sashimi and kim chee."

"Don't worry about the kim chee," Pepper told him. "Tony has forbidden it from ever entering the tower. One of the assistants I hired for him brought some into the office one day and Tony absolutely lost it. He had a pro odor removal service come in."

"Good." He stirred the honey into the tea and tried to pull his mind back from speculation on what was happening in Asgard.

"I think it's stirred," Darcy said quietly. "It's okay, we're all worried, even me and the only person I really know up there is Thor."

"It's only been two days. Even if they took care of everything successfully, there's probably a good deal of clean up and such before they could be returned," he mused. "Definitely too soon to be concerned."

"Yet, we all are." Bruce looked up as Erik Selvig entered the kitchen. "All of our readings indicate that the gate that was open in Asgard was closed late yesterday. I'd say that indicates a victory for Asgard. The enemy would still be moving troops through it if they had won, I'm certain."

"Then clean up, taking care of wounded and such probably didn't get very far until today. And they may not think it's a good idea to use the tesseract so soon after closing that gate."

"They'd be right," the physicist agreed. "Complimentary energy being used could be a boon to the enemy. I doubt Asgard had the equivalent of a nuclear weapon to send back to the other galaxy as we did. From what Thor has told us, their weaponry is intentionally much more…personal."

"Makes sense. With the kind of power they pack, that kind of weaponry would be too great a temptation for someone…"

"Someone like Loki?" Natasha suggested.

Bruce sighed. "Someone like Loki used to be. I really think he's changed."

… …

"He really has changed," Frigga said with a soft smile. "Through all of that, not once did he truly care about his own survival, it was all about his Kara."

Odin nodded and stroked his queen's cheek. "You were right, beloved, and I am glad of it." He sat down on the bench she'd abandoned and indulged her need to fuss over him, arranging the layers of his clothing just so, smoothing down his hair with a brush. Frigga was the one who had transformed him from a warrior forcing his rule on his people into a king. Loki had found his love now, the woman for whom he'd be the man he'd always had the potential to be. The transformation was breathtaking. He was glad he'd lived to see it. "Did he have cause to automatically think the worst of us?" he asked the one person who would never dissemble, who would never tell him what she thought he wanted to hear.

"Yes, he did." Odin sighed at her blunt rejoinder. "He doesn't understand that you have changed as well. Both of our sons have grown so much, but you have grown right along with them. Their trials have tempered you, deepened your compassion, broadened your wisdom. I have seen that and have been quite proud."

"Thank you, dear wife. I only wish that the process could have been less painful for all of us."

"Hmm. A phrase comes to mind that Thor brought back with him from Midgard." His eyebrow lifted as her mouth quirked in amusement. "No pain, no gain," she told him with a quiet laugh.

"If the opposite also holds true, then we have gained immensely," he said dryly. "Are you done fussing? We should stop by and see the newlyweds before we head to the Hall. I wish to reassure Loki that I will allow none to take it amiss if his lady isn't up to socializing after all she's been through this day."

"All that remains is your crown, my lord," she agreed, then laughed again at his grimace. "Do not be give me that look. It is a formal feast and your helm will not do." He sighed and relaxed as she fitted the thrice-be-damned thing across his brow.

… …

Loki was still stroking her hair when her eyes finally opened. "How do you feel?" he asked softly.

"Better. I'm kind of achy all over, but it's not hurting anymore." She turned toward him and frowned as he gasped. "What?"

"Has your vision stabilized?" he asked her as he stared at the change in her beautiful eyes.

Kara shrugged. "I guess. I can sort of feel my focus changing as I look at different things. Everything seems clearer somehow. It's weird, but I can see everything and not get nauseous trying. Now what is it that has you freaked out?" She sighed as he frowned in confusion. "What's so strange that you're staring at me like that?" she clarified.

"Your eyes, the irises. They've always reminded me a bit of a kaleidoscope I brought back to Asgard for my mother's last feast day. With the different colors when I'd move and look at them from different angles, they'd appear to move about. Now, I'm not moving at all, but as you focus on different things, the colors are moving about on their own, in and out and such, very much like that kaleidoscope in truth."

"I need a mirror," she muttered and moved to get out of the bed. He followed after, ready to catch her if she couldn't stand on her own. Kara sank down on the bench in front of the mirror and stared into it. "Oh boy. This is not good. I'm going to have to wear wrap-around sunglasses so I don't look totally freaky."

"Not at all, Kara. It is absolutely breathtaking," he assured her.

"Uh huh. We'll see what the guys have to say about it."

The 'guys', he decided, had best be complimentary or they would regret it. He looked up as a soft knock sounded on the door to the corridor. "I'll go see who it is," he told her as he reached for the silk shift meant to be worn under the dress Frigga had brought her for the feast. "You put this on, I'll not have my wife's naked form be looked upon by others."

Kara snorted. "A bit late for that, don't you think?"

"That does not count, you were ill. Cover up, love. I'll be right back." He walked backwards, watching until she sighed and pulled the loose shift over her head and began tugging it down over her hips. He was surprised to see Odin and Frigga, dressed in their finest, on the other side of the door. "Is everything all right?" he asked them, stepping back so that they could enter.

Automatically returning his mother's embrace, he looked to Odin for an answer. "That is what we came to discover," his…father said. "Has Kara had any further problems?" he asked.

"Ah, no. She awoke a few moments ago and is feeling much improved, though she seems tired, of course."

"We're glad to hear it, Loki," Frigga told him. "We were both so worried, even though Eir pronounced her well."

"Son, I wanted to assure you that you need not be in attendance this night should your lady need more rest. I will deal firmly with any complaints."

Loki found himself grinning. "I think that the complaints might first come from Kara. She is already put out that she's missed out on all of the preparatory aspects of a marriage, should she miss out on the celebration, she'll be impossible to live with."

Frigga rolled her eyes. "I told your father that would be the case, but he would have none of it. He was much too pleased to be the one pulling a prank on you for a change."

"Not just on Loki, my dear, and it was not for the joy of pulling a prank. We very neatly dealt with everyone's concerns while giving our son and his beloved an outcome that would please them both."

"I don't know that you've dealt with the concerns of all of Midgard, father. Their governments may yet feel I've gotten off too lightly, that you've simply slapped me on the wrist and let me go."

Odin shrugged. "I shall deal with them if necessary. They do not understand how a century of being unable to use your magic on a daily basis will chafe at you and that it makes a prison more secure than any could otherwise devise. I do understand that it will be difficult, you have made using your power an art form and an integral part of your life. Having to do daily tasks by hand for such a long period is a punishment both mental and physical."

"Yes. But you have given me an ample distraction from the tediousness of it."

"Is that what I am, a distraction?" Kara asked from behind him.

Loki turned and smiled at her. She'd not only donned the silk undergarment, but had added the gold under dress as well. "Yes, a lovely and most welcome one, sweet lady." He held out a hand, his smile growing as she crossed the room to take it and then tucked herself into his side.

Odin's eyebrow had lifted and Frigga gasped. "Oh, Kara. I thought your eyes lovely before, but now they are extraordinary!" His mother smiled and looked more closely. "The effect is absolutely entrancing." she turned to him with an odd expression. "Do you know what this reminds me of?"

"Yes, I was just telling Kara about the kaleidoscope."

"That was my favorite feast day gift ever."

"Second favorite, my dear," Odin told her. He shrugged when she turned to look at him. "If you recall, I brought Loki home to you on your feast day."

Frigga smiled brightly. "So you did. You are right, that was my favorite present."

"Loki, I know that I told you that I rescued you hoping you'd be a path to peace with Jötunheim, and that was my thought when I took up a few weeks old abandoned infant. Frigga and I were unable to have children together. Thor was a toddler when we were wed, so she did not have the experience of raising him from infancy. I cannot begin to describe the joy on your mother's face when I gave you to her. I may have had thoughts of how useful you would be when I took you, but when I saw how much having you to raise meant to my beloved wife, I loved you simply for being. I still love you."

Kara's arms tightened around him as he stared at his father. "Thank you. That…that means much." He tentatively held out an arm and was surprised when Odin ignored it to pull him and Kara into an embrace. He smiled as he felt Kara loose her hold on him and step back. "I love you as well," he finally managed. "I have always only wanted to please you."

"I know, my son. Rest assured, you have."

… …


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note 1:** Thank you, as always for all of the lovely reviews. I did delete one item listed under reviews which did not include an actual review, only a comment about an oversight. I do appreciate receiving these, as you can tell from previous author's notes, but please send them as PMs, as they are otherwise counted in the number of reviews and that is misleading to those that may be attracted to reading a story based on that number. Thank you.

… …

Kara sighed as the maid that had been sent to help her prepare for the feast settled a gold circlet on her head. The young girl, who was actually over a hundred years older than she was, smiled nervously, bowed briefly, and then turned to Loki. "Will that be all, my prince?" she asked him.

He turned away from replacing a book on its shelf and checked the girl's work. "Yes, thank you. You may go." The girl fled, leaving Loki shaking his head. "I don't know what she thought might happen to her. I've never given harm to any of them." He sighed as she stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. "None of them have seen my Jötunn form, but they've all heard of it. Did the silly chit think I was going to shift and do something monstrous?"

"Maybe she's just in awe of coming to one of the royal chambers. She did say she's never been in this wing before. Your mother has her regular servants that she favors for helping her dress…and I somehow doubt you or Thor have had female servants dressing either of you."

Loki smirked. "No, not dressing."

"Loki!"

He chuckled. "What? I was young, single and had needs, you know. If a woman offered, generally, I would take what was offered. Neither Thor or I ever asked for it…well, not of those who would have hesitated to refuse us out of fear for their positions." She rolled her eyes and frowned up at him. "I suppose we should go on down to the feast hall."

"If you don't want…"

"It's all right, Kara. I'll not deprive you of your wedding feast. Gods know you've missed out on enough." He tucked her hand in his arm and pulled open the door to the hall. "And I am certain your friends would worry if we did not appear."

"Our friends. I think they proved that today."

He smiled. "So they did. I truly am grateful to them."

"Don't tell me, tell them."

… …

"Wow," Tony said as the two figures dressed in green and gold were announced and entered the hall. Loki's garb was familiar, but Kara's? "Wow, she sure cleans up nice." The outfit, as he expected, looked late medieval, something out of the depictions of royals. It appeared to be one dress on top of another, the one underneath was of a shimmering golden cloth and the outer dress was a silky looking deep green with the skirt split in front and multiple slits on each gathered sleeve that let the gold dress peek out.

"Oh, come on, Stark, you saw her in an evening gown at your engagement ball. She looked great then, too," Cap scolded.

He frowned. "Sure, I guess. But I was kind of focused on Pepper, I wasn't really paying all that much attention to anyone else." He stared a moment more. "Huh, crown thingies and everything. Hey, Thor, what's with the gold…oh, you're wearing one too."

"They are coronets of rank, man of…Tony," Thor said. "Loki's wife is now Princess Kara, and must be honored as such."

"Wait, on top of everything else, she gets to be a real princess? Damn. Uh…what's with her eyes?"

"A side effect of the elixir used to physically enhance her so that she can hold the key to my brother's power and become immortal. If you value your life, be kind. She is quite self-conscious about it, or so my father tells me."

"Sure, no problem, goldilocks."

Thor turned to frown at him. "I know that tale, Tony. If I look like a young maiden to you, have Lady Eir check your eyesight."

Tony sighed as Thor stalked away to greet his brother and new sister-in-law. "Wet blanket. Damn near as much a party pooper as his brother." Deciding to take the bull by the horns, even if Loki wasn't wearing his, he decided to go say hello while he still remembered not to tease Kara about her altered peepers. They were kind of spectacular. He waited until Thor had finished saying a few words and then stepped up. "You know, I'm not sure what to call you now," he said to Kara.

"You call her Princess Kara or her highness at a formal gathering such as this," Loki informed him firmly. "Else you will be seen to be rude to the royal family and you do not want that."

"Got it." Tony decided to go all out and threw in a slight bow to the two of them. "Prince Loki, Princess Kara, congratulations. I'm truly happy for you. Pepper, however, is going to be pissed that you beat us to the altar." As he hoped, that made Kara smile. "And you, your highness, look absolutely stunning. I love what you've done with your eyes, they're incredibly spiffy."

"Stark…" Loki began.

"Calm down, Loki. That's a good word." Loki frowned down at his wife as she continued. "I'm serious. It means awesomely dressy."

"Exactly. They sparkle like jewels. She's going to be envied, just you wait," Tony agreed.

Loki sighed. "Fine." He frowned again and looked as if he was searching for words, which was strange, they did call the guy 'Silvertongue', after all. "Tony, I wanted to thank you, and Rogers and Barton. I didn't have the chance earlier. "I've never had anyone support me so strongly before."

Tony stared for a second and then looked around for Cap and Hawkeye. "Guys," he called out, motioning them over. "This you have to hear."

"Stark…"

"Are we back to that again, Lokes? Come on, it's us." He grimaced slightly as Loki's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah, your highness, I mean." He grinned as the others joined them. "Go ahead, we're all here now. Get it over with so you don't have to do it again."

Loki's smile was small, but it was a smile. He'd take that. "I will have to do it again when we return to Midgard, but no matter. Gentlemen, thank you. Your support is what allowed the All-Father to find this solution to my sentencing. Without it, he would have been forced to treat me far more harshly."

"You mean harshly, period," Hawkeye said.

"Clint, don't start," Kara scolded. "How would you feel if you were sentenced to twenty years without access to any weapon and prevented from climbing to any high place to watch anyone unobserved?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "It would drive me nuts. I couldn't do it."

Tony frowned. "That's like twenty years without my workshop or anything to tinker with."

"That's what Loki's sentence amounts to, except it's for one hundred and ten years, and he'll get brief access to his weapon of choice, magic, only when we need him to have it, then he'll have to give it up all over again."

"Not exactly, Kara," Loki interrupted. "Barton, add in to that having Natasha by your side the entire time, holding those weapons for you, and authorized to give them to you when absolutely needed, and otherwise being free to offer you any comfort you may need when she cannot give them to you."

"I don't know if that would make it all that much easier, but I might be able to survive it without losing it totally."

"That is Odin's hope for me and why he literally forced us to wed. Not that I'm complaining about that part of it. I'm grateful." Loki shrugged. "Regardless. Without all of you, the outcome would have been far worse for me. Thank you."

"It was the right thing to do," Cap said. "It wouldn't have been justice, otherwise." Tony smirked. Trust Captain America to give the apple pie speech. "I'm really glad we were able to help, and I'll be glad of a chance to get to know you under better circumstances since I missed out that last week."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's going to be old home week back in Avengers' Tower. At least, I guess you'll be living there since you're supposed to be on call for us?"

Loki shrugged. "If you have no objections. Even after I pay reparations to Jötunheim, I'll still be able to afford proper housing if you'd rather we didn't."

"Not a good idea," the Hawk muttered. "At least, not at first. S.H.I.E.L.D. is already nervous about us not being under their thumb. They'd be totally spastic thinking about you and a healthy Kara wandering around without supervision of any kind. We'd better have her living where we can protect her from them if necessary."

… …

"It had best not be necessary," Thor said as he moved to stand beside his brother. "Asgard would not take it kindly were any on Midgard to give members of its royal family trouble when they are being of service. We are acting in good faith, giving you Loki's power for protection, should that gift be abused, Asgard would be forced to…reconsider our protective stance toward Midgard and perhaps allow the other realms free reign there without our intervention. You would not long survive it."

Steve Rogers frowned. "Maybe you should save that speech for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s council. Or the United Nations. We're on your side, if you didn't notice."

Thor grinned at the sight of an annoyed Steve Rogers. The mortal's jaw tensed and he unconsciously stiffened into a military posture when angered, it was amusing to see. "I did notice, my friend. And I will gladly repeat these words for any authorities for which it is necessary. I just wished all of you to know that you will not stand alone in support of my brother and my new sister. All of Asgard stands with you."

"Good to know, thanks," Rogers said, relaxing.

"So, Thor…uh, hmm. Guess we have to call you Prince Thor at this gig?" Tony Stark began and then sighed at his nod. "Great. Ah, Prince Thor, so, the family grows…Fury's going to have a bird about all of this."

Kara shook her head. "Nick Fury is not our enemy. He's a pain in the ass opportunist, but his motives are fairly pure considering his position. He really is out for the greater good."

"He used you, love," Loki interjected. "And he would do it again if it came to that."

"True, but if he hadn't, I wouldn't have you and you wouldn't have me. I think we should forgive him."

Thor chuckled at his brother's outraged expression. "Perhaps not forgive him, my brother, he did endanger your lady. But you can allow his transgressions to go unpunished as it turned out for the best."

"As you took responsibility for what I did in New Mexico," Loki said. "I suppose you think that should motivate me to be equally generous?"

"I _ask_ you to be equally generous. Please, brother."

He saw the resignation in Loki's eyes before he sighed deeply. "Very well. I'll let it go. This time."

"Good. I do not expect a repeat of your actions, either. Should there be, I will not be inclined to be so generous." He raised a hand as Loki's eyes narrowed. "Truly, I do not expect you to do any such thing again. I, too, believe you have changed and are a better man for your experiences. I am proud to be your brother."

"I think he's trying to say if Fury pulls shit again, it's okay to be pissed off," Tony Stark said to Loki.

"Yes, Tony, I did understand that. After over a thousand years, I think I've mastered understanding my brother's intentions, however poorly he communicates them." Thor couldn't help but grin at Loki's put-upon expression. "Thor, you've believed in me, held out your hand for me, through everything. When we were young…"

Thor grimaced at the memories. "When we were young I was an arrogant fool and thought I was better than everyone, especially my little brother. Those times you proved me wrong, I reacted dishonorably. You may have intended your actions to punish me for a lifetime of slights, but I will take them as a gift, the gift of teaching me to be a true and worthy man. Now, can we put all of it behind us, and walk forward, shoulder to shoulder as brothers, united against any who would endanger our loved ones and those who depend upon us?"

Loki stepped away from his wife and, much to Thor's shock, initiated a hug. He returned it gladly. His brother had always simply endured his own gestures of affection, this was a welcome change. "Yes, we can, brother," Loki said quietly.

… …

Frigga smiled and leaned her head on her husband's broad shoulder. "Our boys are all grown up," she told him.

"Finally." She glanced up in time to see his mouth twitch as he suppressed a smile. "Truly, wife. It is good to see them like this. I had all but given up hope." His arm tightened briefly around her waist. "You never did. This honest love between them is a tribute to you, my beloved. Had they only my example to learn from, we'd have lost one or both of them."

"We very nearly did lose both of them. Do you think there are more like Kara on Midgard? Thor needs a wife, and I do not see any of our ladies handling the job well."

Odin harrumphed in disapproval. "He has his heart set on his mortal scientist."

"Does he? I'm not so certain. Has he given up aught for her sake? Loki was ready to lay down his freedom and possibly his life for his Kara." She gave her husband a mischievous smile. "Perhaps we should meet the woman, see if she is at all worthy of your heir."

"You are plotting something, my dear."

Frigga laughed outright. "I am a woman, my lord. According to men, I am always plotting something."

"Plot later, we must join the children and receive our guests. Pray that none dare insult our prodigal son, my lady, I am not in the mood to be merciful to any who spoil this celebration for him."

… …

A receiving line. Of all of the normal wedding customs she would have enjoyed, a receiving line was not one of them. It was a special sort of hell for an empath, and it would be even worse now that she couldn't seem to shield herself as well as she could previously. Kara sighed as they took their places between Odin and Frigga. Odin had a stern look on his weathered face. She pitied anyone who tried to take this as an opportunity to express anything but sincere congratulations to them. "Do they normally split up like that?" she whispered to Loki.

"No, they are making a point, showing that we are literally as well as figuratively in their embrace, and that they wholeheartedly approve of you as a new daughter."

"Huh, then they expect trouble…that's not good." She winced as Odin turned toward her, his eyebrow lifted.

"There will be no trouble, daughter," he promised.

"Of course not," she agreed.

"The guests who wish will greet us in order of their rank," Loki told her. "King Frey of the Vanir will be first," he said as the giant blonde god strode toward them and greeted Odin with a polite half bow.

"I am pleased for you and your family, old friend," he told the All-Father. "Perhaps the realms will settle down for a time and give us all peace."

"We still have Svartálfheim to deal with. I fear peace will not find us soon." Frey nodded agreement and moved on to Loki.

"Prince Loki, it is good to see you genuinely happy. Might I have the pleasure of a formal introduction to your lovely lady?"

"Of course, your majesty. May I present my wife, Princess Kara, of Midgard's Avengers? Kara, this is King Frey, ruler of the Vanir, a sister race and close allies of the Æsir. They have proven staunch supporters of Asgard and the All-Father."

She gave the slight bow that Frigga had taught her. "A pleasure, your majesty."

Frey grinned, the expression making him look years younger. "Nay, my lady, the pleasure is mine," he said, taking her hand and bowing over it gallantly. Frey looked back at Loki for a second before returning his gaze to her. "I shall withhold my personal blessing until the two of you are ready for it. I don't think it would be wise under the circumstances to offer it now."

"Gods, no," Loki said, looking alarmed. "I'm afraid the magic she will have to channel would make it very detrimental." She frowned at Loki wondering what the hell he was talking about. "Frey is the god of Fertility, love. I am agreeing with him that a pregnancy while I am serving my sentence and you are guarding my power would be unwise."

"Oh. Um, yes…that…oh boy." She flushed at her inability to respond coherently to that statement.

Fortunately Frey was amused and chuckled kindly as he released her hand. "I see you'd not given it much thought. Hmm, you've likely had no time to think today. No matter. When you are ready, let me know. I am certain your children would be both beautiful and powerful, an asset to all the Nine Realms."

"Thank you," she managed without stammering and bowed again as the man moved on to Frigga. "Loki, we need to talk about this later. Once your magic is bound, what's going to keep me from getting pregnant?"

The way his eyes widened, it hadn't occurred to him either. Oh joy. "We'll have to consult with Eir, Midgard methods would not work on you now. Do not worry, we'll find a way." He frowned as the woman Sif had identified as Loki's daughter approached. "Ah, love, has anyone explained Hel to you?"

"Yes."

Loki's daughter had greeted Odin and now stood in front of her father. Kara was puzzled by the dusky cast to her skin. "Angrboða, she who bore me, was Jötnar," the woman said as though she could read Kara's mind, pointedly not giving the female frost giant the title of mother. She shrugged at Kara's surprise. "Your face is very expressive. Surely my sire has told you this?"

She smiled. "Once or twice, your majesty," Kara said, remembering that Loki's daughter was the queen of Niflheim. "I used to have a decent poker face, at least before I met him." Hel looked confused…oh, Midgard saying. "Um, a poker face means being able to control your reactions regardless of the provocation."

Hel nodded, her lips curving up slightly at the corners. "He does have a way about him of upending all that one is." The woman's fondness for her father washed over Kara even though it didn't come through in her voice or expression. Hel apparently thought a lot more highly of Loki than Sif had thought. "You will be good for him," the goddess continued. "I am pleased by this alliance."

"Thank you. Will I have a chance to get to know you?" Kara asked.

"I should hope not, wife of my sire. I am the goddess of the Dead who did not die in honorable battle. I hope never to have you as my subject. That said, should we meet outside of my realm, we may speak of many things," she finished, giving Loki a somewhat amused look. Kara felt the fondness intensify. Interesting. Hel nodded politely to both of them and Kara remembered the polite bow as Hel greeted Frigga before moving on.

Kara's eyes widened as Helblindi approached Odin. As they stood on the same level now, the Jötunn crown prince towered over the Æsir king by a good two feet…and Odin was a tall man, even on Asgard. "All-Father," the Jötnar said in his sharp-edged voice. "I am pleased we have reached a satisfactory resolution to our problems, and that my half-brother's honor has been restored."

Loki stiffened beside her. Odin's glare could have melted the prince's realm. "In my eyes it was never truly lost. Take care with your words, Laufeyson."

Helblindi's blood red eyes widened. "I meant no offense." He turned slightly acknowledge Loki. "I willingly call him brother."

Loki nodded. "I will take no offense. I am glad to have the opportunity to right my wrongs to my brother's people."

"Shall we expect you on the morrow, then?" Helblindi asked.

"Ah, no. It will be several days before Kara will be able to accompany me."

"Then come without her."

Kara didn't like the tension that was rising. "Unfortunately I'm not just Loki's wife, I'm also his gaoler. Where he goes, I go, and visa-versa for the next one hundred and ten years…uh, cycles."

"Are you ill from your transition, sister by marriage?"

"No, but we have other concerns that must be addressed before it's safe for me to travel anywhere but to Midgard."

"I don't see what…"

Loki smiled and Kara could feel a wave of mischief run through him. "Will you not offer your hand to your sister by marriage, Helblindi?"

The prince frowned. "I withhold my hand for her safety, as well you know."

"Hmm. I insist that you at least make the offer, unless you truly do believe we have no honor."

"What are you playing at, brother," Helblindi grated. "Should I do your lady harm, there would be war. So much for your gladness to correct your wrongs."

"I guarantee you no consequences should Kara be injured by your touch." Loki looked to Odin. "Will you witness this, father."

Odin sighed. "I agree."

Helblindi made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl before holding out an extremely large hand. Kara gave Loki a reproving look before preparing to monitor her temperature to avoid seriously harming his half-brother. "Loki, you should ask your brother to give you the same guarantee," she advised.

"Good point, love. Helblindi, will you vow not to seek reparations should you be harmed by my lady's touch?"

The prince snorted. "As if that would be possible. Yes, yes, I so vow."

Kara smiled and slowly touched her fingers to the Jötunn prince's outstretched palm, then carefully allowed her palm to come in contact as well. Helblindi's eyes widened almost comically. She could feel pain start to rush through him and tried to pull her hand back. The stubborn idiot closed his fingers around it, hissed as the pain increased and then finally released her. "What magic is this? Why does this woman's hand burn? Did you wed a woman bearing the blood of the giants of Mûspelheim?"

"No, Kara is fully human, but one who is a unique advance on the race. Among other things, she is a firestarter of great power. That power has increased with her transition. Do you think it wise that she travel to Jötunheim before we've had the opportunity to test her control of that power?"

Helblindi's shock was edged with horror. "No. That would be most unwise."

"So we thought. As soon as we know her new limits and that she has full control, we will come so that I may repair the damage I did, I swear it."

"Very well, brother." Helblindi turned to her and bowed respectfully. "You are a worthy bride, more worthy than I had suspected." He gave a polite bow to Frigga and strode off, his other hand cradling the injured one.

"That was mean," Kara told her husband.

"It was necessary. He wouldn't have believed it otherwise."

"Maybe, but you had far too much fun with it."

Loki chuckled. "So I did."

… …

"Son, I think your wife is about to fall asleep. Perhaps you'd best take her back to your chambers, it has been a long day."

Loki excused himself from his conversation with Haakun and several other high ranking nobles and looked for Kara. She was seated at the high table, leaning forward on her arms, half-listening to Fandral and a group of hangers-on expound on some nonsense. He smiled at the sight of her extraordinary eyes blinking sleepily. "I think you are right, father. With your leave, then?"

"Of course, Loki. Don't keep the woman up too late."

"I won't. She needs to be well rested when you bind my powers on the morrow." He frowned. "Should we attend you directly after we break our fast?"

Odin nodded. "That would be best. I have overheard a comment or three speculating on why it was being put off. I had Eir address the issue with an explanation of transition fatigue."

"Hmm. I will need to speak to Eir tomorrow. We'll need a way to prevent Kara from conceiving until my sentence is served. We do not know how often she will need to loose and rebind my power, too much movement of power through her could prove dangerous to an unborn."

"So it could. She will be there to oversee Kara's well-being during the working. You can address the issue with her then." Odin sighed. "I suppose I must wait a good while for another grandchild."

"Unless Thor gets one on his scientist, I'm afraid so."

"Ah well. Good night, my son. Go, spirit your wife out of here while attention is focused on the next round of mead."

Loki nodded, clapped a hand firmly to his father's back and headed back to the table. "Kara, my love," he said as he approached. "I need your attention, sweet wife." Several of the courtiers nearby snickered as they predictably read an innuendo into his words. That would keep them occupied for a bit.

"Hmm?" She looked up, her expression befuddled. "I'm sorry, what?"

Reaching her side, he took her arm and drew her to her feet. "Let's escape while we can," he whispered. "Odin has given us leave to flee the remaining foolishness for our sanity's sake."

Kara snickered and shook her head. "You are so bad," she said quietly. "Fortunately for you, it's always been the bad boys that do it for me."

He grinned. "I'm glad of it. Now, this way while no one is paying attention." He tugged her behind one of the large columns and then down a small corridor where servants hurried toward the hall carrying jugs of mead. "It's a shortcut, we'll be at our door in a moment."

"Good," she said, stifling a yawn. "I can't believe how tired I am."

"Hmm. Don't fall asleep yet, love. I really want to see you out of this dress."

"I thought you liked this outfit, it's even in your colors."

"Our colors now. And I do, but I much prefer you in no outfit at all."

"Uh huh, typical bad boy."

He stopped to stare at her. "Kara, one thing I have never been is a typical anything."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug. "True. I think we both qualify as one of a kind. It's why we're so perfect for each other."

"I'm not going to stand out here and argue about who is perfect for whom when we could be doing _other things_. Come on, we're almost there."

… …


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's Note1:** Oh, Genevieve, I'd love to write for the next movie. But you'd have to talk to the great god Joss about that! Heck, I'd love to write for any of Joss's projects. Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. I'd love to give each and every one of you a hug!

**Author's Note2:** I'm glad I got this out in time before my break. Now it really will be until the 21st or thereabouts before I've got computer access to update again. Sorry, hang in there, there's lots more story to come!

**Author's Note3:** For those avoiding the smexy, after you've read the part with Helblindi, do a 'find' on 'Steve' to take you beyond the smexy to the plot important end piece. Everyone else, ENJOY the smexy!

… ..

'Other things'. Kara decided she liked the sound of that. Particularly given the very sexy way he had drawled the phrase. They reached their door a moment later and Loki held it open for her, then closed it behind them. "Like sleeping?" she teased, earning herself a mock glare. "I've been fighting to stay awake for over an hour."

Loki frowned and she felt concern run through him. "Are you truly too tired, love? Could the thought of finally being able to love each other without worries about the truth of our feelings or the likelihood of being torn apart forever at any moment not tempt you into staying awake a bit longer?"

"That…actually. Huh. We haven't ever been able to be together without any of that hanging over our heads, have we?" She smiled as he pulled her close and held her tightly. "Maybe it won't be as exciting?"

"Kara, seriously? Lovemaking with you will always be exciting." He smirked as she looked up at him with a bemused expression. "After all, I court danger every time I make you forget yourself."

"Oh, now you're teasing." Pushing away she headed for the bedroom with a purposeful swing to her hips. "Do we need to send for someone to help me out of this thing?" she asked as he followed her in.

"Hmm. Normally, I'd simply use magic and get it off of you in an instant. I suppose I should practice doing it the hard way as that's what I'll be forced to do beginning tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't know, I think the hard way could be more fun. Make a game out of it," she told him. "Take something off of me, and then I'll take something off of you."

"Sounds frustrating." Loki moved closer and lifted the circlet off of her head and then loosed the pins that held her hair back, smiling as the thick waves cascaded down to her shoulders. "Hmm, this has possibilities," he realized as he tugged at the laces that held the bodice tight around her torso. The overdress loosened and he watched avidly as her breasts shifted with the reduction in constriction. "Arousing possibilities."

"My turn," she whispered huskily as she undid the fastenings on the garment that was a cross between a jacket and a tunic and then pushed it off of his shoulders. He let it drop to the floor and did the same with her overdress. She loosened the ties in the front of his under tunic so that it could be lifted over his head and pressed a kiss at the base of his exposed throat.

"Ah, are we supposed to accompany this with kisses? You did not tell me that rule," he scolded.

"There are no real rules other than to enjoy the process." She took the hem of the tunic in her hands and pulled it up and forward as he cooperatively bent toward her and lifted his arms. When it reached his hands, he took it from her and tossed it on top of the jacket. "We're making a mess," she told him as she rubbed her palms across his bared pectorals and kissed a trail down his sternum until he pulled away.

"Here in Asgard, we have servants. They can tidy it later. We'll worry about messes when we return to Midgard." He untied the cord that held the gathered neckline of the underdress closed and began kissing and licking her shoulders as it slowly drifted off of them. She let the golden garment catch on her arms as he continued to mouth down to the white silk shift beneath. "Too many layers," he complained as he pushed the underdress off of her arms and lifted her out of the garments that were now pooled about her feet and set her down closer to their bed.

"You are still wearing breeches. It's the same number of layers, they're just in different areas," she informed him as she undid the lacing of the garment in question. "And you are wearing boots. I can kick off my slippers before you can get those off."

Loki smiled and turned them around so that he could sit on the bed. "Good point, my love. Tug this one off for me?" he asked with a suspiciously sweet expression as he lifted one leg.

She'd leaned forward to comply before realizing she'd be flashing her breasts under the loose material of the shift. "Sneaky," she told him as she caught sight of his smirk. "But well within the lack of rules."

"Yes, since I am enjoying the process very much, sweet Kara," he agreed. She tossed the one boot over by his pile of clothing and he lifted the other leg up so she could do the same with its boot. "Now, about that shift," he began as he reached down for its bottom and pulled it up and over her head as he stood. With his height, he was easily able to pull it off of her without her needing to bend. "Much better," he said, pulling her close so that her already excited nipples pressed against his upper abdomen. "Yes, I do like this game very much. We will play it again," he decided.

"I'll consider it," she told him as she tugged his breeches down over his undergarment. Pulling back she managed to get the pants over his narrow hips and down his thighs and finally to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side as she cupped his bulging erection through his undergarment. "You weren't kidding about enjoying it," she smiled.

"Let's be done with the game, my love," he rasped, pulling his undergarment off and tossing it on top of the remainder of his discarded clothing before reaching for hers. "I need my wife naked in my arms."

Kara gasped as he ripped off her final article of clothing and dropped it on the floor. "Impatient much?"

"I have never claimed patience. Perseverance, certainly, but not patience."

"Fine, but you have to explain how you ruined my undies." She giggled at Loki's curious frown. "Short for undergarment," she clarified.

"I will explain nothing, I do what I want, and what I want, right now, is you in our bed."

Smirking, she sidestepped as he reached for her and twisted out of his reach. "Make me," she challenged.

… …

"Minx. Come, now. You're tired, you don't have the energy for this." Loki groaned as he reached for her and she danced to the side with a mischievous smile.

"I've found my second wind. Can you catch me without your magic? To make it fair, I won't use any of my abilities," she offered.

Silly chit. Even with the changes to her body, she was still nowhere near his speed or strength. He eyed her carefully, watching as she edged first one way and then darted another until he saw the unconscious pattern of her movements. Just as she made her next move, he dashed into her path. The incredulous expression on her face when she crashed into his chest made him laugh outright. "You'll never be as fast or as strong as I, magic or no magic, darling wife."

"True." He ran his hands through her hair as her arms crept around his waist and she snuggled into his chest. "But tell me this, _husband_," she said, emphasizing the word. "Did you have fun chasing me?"

His jaw dropped. "You…yes, I did." Bending slightly, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. "So the point of this is that I can have fun without magic?" he asked.

Kara rolled her eyes as he laid her in the middle of the mattress and settled down on one elbow beside her. "No, the point is that we will always have fun _together_, because love and caring are all that will ever matter. Which is a good thing since we're stuck with each other for over a hundred years."

Stuck with him? Loki frowned. Surely she didn't feel…he looked up as her fingers tapped his lips sharply. He looked into her eyes and smiled slowly as he saw the love and teasing light that filled them. "Correction, my lady. We are not stuck with each other for a hundred years, we both agreed to forever."

"Hmm," she began as her fingers trailed over his chin, down his neck and began tracing random patterns on his chest. "I don't know if forever will be long enough."

… …

"I thought you gone," Helblindi said as he came face to face, more or less, with Malekith, leader of the Svartálfar. He wouldn't dignify the accursed one with the title of king, he'd done naught to earn it.

"Odin would like me gone," Malekith agreed with a cruel grin. "But I still have dead to reclaim."

He leaned back against the wall and stared down at the half dark, half pale face of the ugly bastard whose expression seemed set in a perpetual sneer. "What do you care for your dead? They failed." Shrugging one shoulder negligently he continued. "You care not even for the living of your people unless they bring you more power."

"Do not speak of what you do not understand," the dark-hearted Álfar hissed. "As if you have served your people well."

"My people will reap benefits from my interactions with the Æsir. You cannot say the same."

"Benefits? A few paltry goods, while your realm warms and dies? How is that a benefit?"

"Loki will repair the damage to our ice fields. Odin has given him leave to use the Casket of Ancient Winters to restore them. We will come back from this and flourish with a new treaty and alliance with Asgard."

"If Loki doesn't use his magic to finish the job and destroy you all while he is there. You are a fool, Helblindi, and you call yourself a prince. Hah!"

"I am not that trusting. The remainder of his magic will be well bound. There will be so surprises from my half-brother." Helblindi glared down at the power-hungry fiend with annoyance. "Is there a point to all of this or are we done here? I tire of listening to your voice."

Malekith's venomous expression hardened. "We're done here, _Prince_ Helblindi. You have been warned; if you wish to bow to Asgard, your realm's demise is on your head." Helblindi shook his head at the Svartálfar's overly dramatic pronouncement and returned to the guest chambers that Odin had thoughtfully provided with an enchantment that kept the rooms at a comfortable temperature for him and his men.

… …

Kara luxuriated in the sensations as Loki's hands and mouth touched, stroked and cherished every inch of her body. She shivered as he playfully licked the outer edge of her ear and then nipped the lobe. A moan escaped as long fingers delved between her folds to demand entrance to her already dampening sex. His mouth moved to claim the peak of one breast as he thrust two digits deep inside, playing and twisting until her natural fluids began to soak his hand. His pace was leisurely tonight as suited their trust that there would, finally, be a tomorrow for them. Twisting his hand slightly, he teased her clit with his thumb, alternating between gentle strokes and firm pressure until her insides began to churn with the need for… "More," she begged.

Releasing her nipple his face lifted. A smug little grin curved his lips. "More, what, sweet wife?" She groaned as he thrust particularly hard into her sex. "More of that?" Next he leaned forward and bit down sharply on her other nipple, earning a startled yelp. "Or that?" His free hand moved to encircle her throat gently, and that damn smirking mouth descended upon her own, possessing it utterly. His tongue teased hers, exploring and demanding a oral response just as his hands demanded response from her sex.

When he finally gave her a chance to speak, she could only gasp, "All of it," before she was reduced to a needy whine. Loki chuckled and abandoned his efforts and she whimpered at the loss of those talented fingers. "Lo-ki!" she cried out, as she dropped back down from the edge of an orgasm. "Don't stop!"

"Oh, love, we've just begun," he promised. Both hands moved beneath her and he shifted to his back, lifting and turning her so that she straddled his torso, just below his shoulders. Stretched full length atop him she could reach his swollen cock. "I want you to make me come, Kara. And I want you to take it all." She felt his arms slide under her legs, lifting her bottom half slightly, and she could feel the ends of his hair against her widespread thighs. His warm tongue stroked her slit and she gasped. "Don't worry, I shan't neglect your pleasure," he promised.

Loki had never let her finish him orally. He'd always gotten too carried away with the need to be inside of her…to 'fuck that sweet quim' as he put it when he was being crude to try and make her blush. She wasn't sure if she could manage it, but damn, she was going to give it her best effort. "You'd better not, or yours will get interrupted." She wrapped her hand around the base of his erection and trailed her tongue up the length before he could retort. He jerked beneath her and then laughed softly, the sound trailing off into a groan as she took him as far into her mouth as she could manage, tightened her lips around his circumference and pulled back slowly.

"Gods, Kara. Keep that up and you'll finish me."

She lifted her head and stared back at him. "I thought that was the plan?" Smiling as his head dropped back she took him in hand…uh, mouth, again and began to lick around the hardened column. His abdominal muscles rippled beneath her encouraging her to begin working in earnest to bring him to climax.

… …

Loki wondered how he was going to manage to pleasure his wife when she was driving him insane with that amazing mouth. Every time he collected himself enough to begin teasing her dripping quim she'd either nip him, lick him in a particularly sensitive spot, or do something else that made his muscles spasm with the excitement of it. He finally settled for playing idly in her canal with the fingers of one hand and stroking and pinching the sweet bud of her clit with the other. Those activities he could manage to resume in a reasonable amount of time after each jolt of sensation shook him. Kara was moaning around his aching staff as if the feel of it in her mouth was an exceptional treat. Though perhaps she saw it as such. He'd been encouraging her to be open and enjoy both the giving and receiving of stimulation. He gasped as she repeated the maneuver that had almost finished him before she'd really started. "Damn, love," he managed. "You…" he trailed off with a groan as she repeated it again and gently squeezed his sac with the hand that didn't have a firm grip about the base of his cock.

"You're loving that, admit it," she teased then returned to driving him insane with the need to thrust. He grabbed her hips, intending to flip her and give into that now urgent need but froze as she squeezed his sac harder. "Oh no…you're finishing in my mouth this time, you promised."

"Demanding chit," he laughed, letting his head drop back as she returned to driving him insane. "Gods, I…" he gasped as she finished her latest long pull up his length with a swirl of her tongue on the tip followed by another sharp nip. "Kara!" He shuddered as she plunged him deep into her mouth again, his vision beginning to blank out under the onslaught of pleasure. Her half strangled moan alerted him that he had unconsciously begun to thrust up into her throat. "Sorry, love," he gasped.

"Don't be," she managed. "Go ahead, let go, you won't hurt me." He moaned as she took him deep and, taking her at her word, allowed the sensations to overwhelm his caution again. The pleasure built with each slide past those tightly clamped lips and he groaned every time his tip hit the back of her throat. He could feel his hips lifting and clutched her thighs as the pressure built inside of him. Her hungry gasps and moans vibrated around him and he felt his sac lift and tighten in her soft, firm grasp.

It. Was. Too. Much. Her hands abandoned the base of his cock and his sac and he felt her fingers grip under his thighs as he continued to thrust up. She held on tightly, as if she was determined to finish this ride with him…for him. Gods he loved this woman. His vision dimmed again as the tension overwhelmed him, the only thought that he could verbalize was her name. "Kara!"

… …

It was almost too much, she couldn't hold him back from going too deep in her mouth any longer without getting bucked off. She'd grabbed his legs to prevent that but found herself close to choking as more of his hard length thrust back into her throat, triggering her gag reflex. That pressure seemed to bring him even more pleasure if his whimpering moan was anything to judge by so she decided to let it happen. After the first two throat thrusts she found herself able to handle it without panic and returned to clamping her lips and pressing her tongue tightly against his thrusting length. His entire body was tensing beneath her and the thrusts became more shallow and more powerful…then he was yelling her name and hot, thick cum was filling the back of her throat as he came. She swallowed as much as she could, but felt some leaking out of the corners of her mouth as his body finally dropped limply back onto the bed. "Kara," he said again, softly this time.

Kara pulled off of his slightly softened staff and licked off the drops of cum that glistened on the head. It jerked at the touch making her smile. Closing her mouth tight on the last bit of cum she slid off of him and turned so that she could press her lips to his. He blinked up at her and she raised an eyebrow. It took a minute, but he finally realized what she was up to and grinned, then opened his mouth to her. His tongue met hers as she took the invitation and she kept her mouth fused to his as the last of his cum dripped inside. They played, mouth to mouth until the last of her prize had been delivered then he shifted to lay her comfortably against his side. "I love you," she told him.

"I've never doubted it," Loki said. He frowned suddenly. "Well, not since you returned to the tower after I'd driven you away." She smiled and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "I am sorry that I didn't admit my feelings to you sooner. I realize now that it was stupid, but I had this thought that if you didn't think I loved you, then my loss would be easier for you to handle. I know that was wrong, but…"

"You were trying to protect me, I know. It's okay. If I'd really wanted to know for sure I would have read you. I refused because you were right, it did, in a way, make it more tolerable." She thought about it and then sighed. "On second thought, no, it didn't. What it did was keep me from bugging Jane and Erik to find me a way to Asgard so that I could kick your father's ass."

He laughed. "That's my Hellbringer."

… …

Steve groaned as he staggered down the corridor. He was perfectly sober, as usual. Unfortunately Tony and Clint were not. He had an arm under each of them and they each had one arm draped over his shoulder as he maneuvered them towards their rooms. It wasn't a pretty process and it was taxing even his patience. Thor and his Asgardian friends were no help, they were all pretty nearly as sloshed as his fellow Avengers. Not that the alcohol affected them as much, it was just that each of them had out drank even Tony by at least two to one. "Crap," he muttered as Tony stumbled yet again. "I should just set you down, get Clint back and then come carry you in."

A soft chuckle came from behind him. A glance over his shoulder revealed Odin's councilor, the one who had spoken for the Tribunal. "May I be of assistance, Captain Rogers?" Haakun asked.

He'd seen the man mingling with the other guests all night long, drinking little and talking a lot. The few times he'd been close enough to overhear he'd been skillfully convincing doubters that the 'punishment' issued to Loki was harsher than it appeared and would result in strong ties with Midgard and would improve relations with Jötunheim. The other attendees had agreed that good relations with Midgard would be a good idea, particularly since many of them had now heard how Tony had wiped out a Chitauri mother ship and a good portion of a fleet using just one nuke out of the thousands in the world's arsenals. "Yes, sir. That would be appreciated," he said as he moved to the wall and leaned Clint against it. "Could you give Hawkeye a hand? He's okay to walk, he just needs a bit of support and guidance to keep him going in the right direction."

"Of course." Haakun grabbed Clint's arm as he started to slide down the wall and placed it over his own shoulder. "Come on, Clint Barton," he said. Steve was impressed the man remembered their full names. "Time to get to your bed and sleep it off."

"No bed…nest," Clint slurred. Steve rolled his eyes as he hefted a now virtually unconscious Tony over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Yes, Clint, that's what he meant," he told the drunken archer. "Just humor him," he directed to Haakun. "He likes high places, but we'll put him in the regular bed and bar the door to his room. When he's sober enough to figure out how to get out of there, he'll be okay to climb up to his nest, as he calls it without me worrying about him falling out of it."

The councilor laughed as they started on their way down the corridor. "I like the way you think, Captain. Does the man of iron need a healer? Our mead is much more potent than any of your brews. It may be more than his system can handle."

Steve blew out a frustrated breath. "You know, on any other one of us, I'd say yes. But Tony is, well, accustomed to overloading his system. Honestly, I don't know how he functions on all of the stuff he drinks, but he manages pretty well. I'll check him a little closer once he's in bed, but I think he'll be okay."

"You drank nearly as much as this one," Haakun said, tilting his head toward Clint. "Why do you seem unaffected?"

He hated this question, but he didn't want to lie about it. "Um, well, sir, my strength and such is a result of scientific experimentation. Along with everything else it altered my metabolism and alcohol no longer has any effect on me. I could probably drink Thor under the table and maybe, just maybe feel it just a little bit. But I doubt it."

"Frustrating, I imagine. Though I'm certain it has its uses." They walked silently for a few moments, then the Æsir spoke again. "Captain, I wanted to have a word with you, as this group's leader."

Steve sighed. "Honestly, I'm more a coordinator than a leader. We're a bunch of really independent-minded people. Our being able to work together so well is nothing short of a miracle."

Haakun chuckled. "That sounds much like the heroes of Asgard. We are truly not so different a people as we like to think. Well, then. As their coordinator, I would ask this," he said as they managed to get inside the rooms and Haakun closed the door behind them. "What do you truly think of Loki's sentence? We assumed much by inflicting him upon you, I know."

"Give me a second here." He carried Tony into his bedroom and let him slide off of his shoulder and onto the bed. The hard-drinking billionaire's heart beat strongly, his pulse was normal and his breathing steady. "I think he'll be okay, but I'll bunk in there with him and keep an eye on him just in case, he told Haakun and then led him into Clint's assigned room. He helped the Æsir get Clint settled on the bed and then blocked the door shut with a chair as they left. "Let's sit down for a minute, okay?"

Haakun nodded and joined him in what Steve thought of as the living room, though he figured it was called something else entirely in Asgard. "Have you even had time to think about it all yet?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it all evening. I'm not going to kid you, our government is going to have a total conniption. There are going to be calls to imprison him, execute him, make him stand trial at the World Court in Nuremburg, all sorts of stuff like that. But I know there are legal grounds to prevent that. Tony mentioned it before the feast, it would be what they call 'double jeopardy', it's a law where you can't stand trial for the same crime twice."

"And you think this will do the trick?"

"Well, I don't know. But Tony is, well, he's wealthy like you almost can't believe. He's got lawyers all over the place, the best that money can buy, and I think they can pull it off. And Loki will still have us. Tony also said that before it can get to a legal challenge, we'll do what he called 'try it in the court of public opinion'. That means we'll get the evidence that we have out there. We'll do interviews on our communications networks telling them what we told all of you about Loki really doing all he could to help. Then we can play up the whole Loki and Kara love story. Most humans are suckers for a good love story." He shrugged. "I mean, seriously…people love us. They trust us, and if they see us accepting him, most of them will be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Most, but not all."

"Well, no. There are always haters, and then there will be people who lost someone that will have a good reason to be bitter. And yeah, I'm going to quote Tony again and believe you me, he's going to get an earful from me when he's sober about not being with it enough to explain all this stuff himself. Tony says that we should set up a reparations fund. Compensate the victims' families generously for loss of income and expenses for funerals, burial and such. That will help. And financial help with the people struggling with damage from the invasion will make it easier too."

"And if what Thor tells us is true, there are issues on your world, powerful enemies of the people who regularly make trouble. Once Loki begins helping all of you to address these ills, that should also make a difference."

"Oh, heck yes. Once he does that, they'll start seeing him as a hero. Well, not right away, but eventually. We'll probably have to play it up, let him take the burden of the protecting for a while so people can see how much he's doing. But eventually, they'll let the hurt and anger go and accept him."

Haakun nodded. "That is encouraging. But tell me, Captain Rogers. What do you, personally, think of the sentence?"

Steve chuckled. The guy had gotten back to it. That was okay, he decided. Telling him the rest had given him time to think about it. "I'm okay with it. I know Dr. Gunnarssen…uh, Kara, has been good for him. And you know, he's been good for her. She was distant before he came. Nice to everyone, caring and all, but she was afraid to get close, afraid she'd hurt people. Loki changed all that. When Thor took him back, she lost it. Totally wiped out her entire suite, all of the furniture, with her fire, just trying to get the agony out of her system so that she could deal with the loss. I spoke to Loki briefly before he left…I-I was gone on assignment most of the time he was there. He'd really changed, and I'm not giving you any tall tales here. And I guess I'm a sucker for a love story too."

The councilor's smile was wide and he stood, shaking his head with a rueful expression. "Ah, Captain. So are we."

… …


	39. Chapter 39

Kara fidgeted as they waited in Odin and Frigga's 'small' audience chamber for Lady Eir. As with everything in Asgard, size was relative. The King and Queen of all Asgard seemed relaxed, on the surface, but she could feel that they were both every bit as anxious as she and Loki were. This was a good thing. It meant Odin didn't really like what he was forced to do…so she'd let him live. This time. A tiny grin lifted the corners of her mouth as she imagined the response saying that aloud would receive. Yep, discretion was definitely the better part of valor in this case. "What are you up to, love?" her husband asked.

She sighed. "Just thinking inappropriate thoughts, and no, I'm not going to elaborate." His eyebrows lifted and a fleeting smirk graced his lips before he sobered. "Yes, I'm fine," she told him before he opened his mouth to ask.

"Are you now a mind reader, Kara? Or can you feel so clearly now it is much the same?"

"The latter and I'm still having no success in shielding. This is going to get old really fast." She looked over to Frigga. "My lady, do you have anyone that can help me redevelop shielding for my empathic senses? I'm not going to be able to go anywhere near the masses of people on Midgard if I don't get a handle on it before we go back to the heavily populated areas there."

"We'll ask Eir to find a volunteer to help you. She knows more about our healers with empathic abilities than do I, they tend to live solitary lives," Loki's mother responded with a gentle smile. Kara figured that being married to Odin, the goddess had to have a spine of steel…if not titanium, but she never failed to sound kind and gentle.

"Making promises for me again, my queen?" Eir teased as she finally arrived with two healers in tow. One of them was Bothildr, the healer that had been sitting with Kara when she awoke from what she now knew was the cure for her nervous system deterioration. The male healer was unfamiliar, but both were carrying golden circles of metal with odd looking stones set in them. "Hrútr," Eir told him. "Place the binding collar around Prince Loki's neck; Bothildr shall place the receiving collar on Princess Kara." As the two did as the goddess bid, Eir smiled. "The collars aid in the binding of the magic and creation of the key within you, Kara," she explained.

"In me? The key isn't a physical thing?"

"Yes, in so much as you are physical and your body and mind will be the key." Eir's smile faded slightly. "We have not explained this well, have we?" Kara glowered at her and Eir sighed. "Once the initial binding of the power is complete, the release and rebinding of it shall be subject to your will, nothing more. You will need no physical item as a focus for the process. Unlike most born mortal, your mind is advanced enough for the task all on its own."

"Please tell me these collars aren't going to be a permanent accessory."

Eir laughed softly. "They are not. They serve only to focus the magic during the initial binding to ensure that the power is bound from and to the appropriate individuals. Once the binding is done, the power will know where to go. Now, Hrútr will monitor Prince Loki's health, Bothidr will monitor yours and I will monitor the All-Father." She turned to Frigga as the queen's eyebrow rose. "And you, my lady, will oversee all of us to ensure nothing is missed."

Odin stood. "Take your seats as we discussed," he told the two of them as he nodded to Haakun who was standing by an anteroom door. The man stepped outside and returned with the representatives of the other realms, including the Avengers. They all took seats in what was set up as a kind of viewing gallery. Kara and Loki took the chairs that had been previously set a specific distance apart and settled themselves comfortably. Odin stood between them, one hand outstretched over each of their heads. The healers moved into position behind them and Frigga took a seat in front of them.

Haakun spoke up. "We're all here, my liege."

"Then let us begin," Odin said. Kara glanced over at Loki and saw Odin's outstretched hand begin to glow with a golden light. The light moved down and covered her husband who stiffened with a slightly pained expression. The murky jewel in the collar began to glow a brilliant green as Loki gritted his teeth. "Son, try to relax, it will make it easier," Odin told him.

"I _am_ trying. Have you ever had this done to you?" he asked irritably. Odin shook his head in the negative. "Thought not. It's more painful than you'd think…though I endured worse to save Thor." Loki was panting now and a fine sheen of perspiration covered his skin.

The green glow was almost blinding when Odin nodded, seemingly satisfied and then looked in her direction. "Kara, you will feel a distinct heaviness. Try to be open and relaxed. If it hurts at all, it should be only a minor discomfort."

"You'd best not cause her the pain I am in, old man," Loki snarled.

Odin sighed, otherwise ignoring the outburst. "If it does become painful, tell me immediately as that would indicate a problem."

Kara looked up and saw the hand her father-in-law held over her was now glowing with the same green intensity of the gem on Loki's collar, but that green glow was surrounded by a golden nimbus. She felt the promised weight cover her like a heavy blanket and then seemingly sink into her skin. The gem on her collar, when she looked down at it, was beginning to glow green with that same nimbus of gold. She shifted in her seat as a new sensation arose. "It's itching," she told the All-Father. "Seriously; like I need to scratch all over kind of itching."

He nodded. "That's the power moving through you. Once it settles the itching should stop. I wasn't expecting you to be quite sensitive enough to feel that."

"She is an empath and healer, my king," Eir said dryly.

The corner of Odin's mouth curved up. "So she is, and a powerful one, I should have expected it. My apologies, daughter."

"No problem," Kara responded, wondering if Thor calling Loki 'brother' before they reconciled had made Loki as uncomfortable as Odin calling her 'daughter' did. Probably more so; she'd have to remember to apologize for chastising him about it. She hissed as the weight of the power suddenly increased and a spasm of pain ran through her and then dissipated almost immediately as the gem gave a blinding flash and then settled into a steady gold rimmed green and the gem in Loki's collar faded to its original murky color. "Now that hurt, but just for a second."

She glanced back in time to see Odin staggering back. He was supported by the three healers and helped to his throne. "It is finished," he informed them once he was settled. "Don't fuss, my lady," he said to Frigga as she ran over. "I shall recover in a moment. Loki's magic is powerful, and it took a great deal of energy to bind it safely." He looked over at Loki. "Son, how are you feeling?"

Just as Kara noticed that the gems in both collars had now returned to their original state; the two assistant healers returned to them and removed the collars from their necks. "What?" Loki said. "I…" he trailed off looking puzzled and then peered around the room. "Something is wrong," he said, raising his voice a bit. "I-everything looks fuzzy, I could barely hear you, and I feel…I feel as though I'm wrapped in a cocoon of wool."

"What?" Kara stood up and went to him. "Eir, what's going on?" she asked as the goddess of Healing came over to examine Loki.

"I don't feel anything wrong with him," she said, sounding flustered. "All of his senses read normally, I don't understand this at all."

Odin frowned thoughtfully. "Loki," he began, speaking at a volume she normally associated with Thor. "Did you perhaps develop the habit of using your magic to sharpen your senses?"

Loki frowned back at him. "I suppose I might have."

"That would explain it, then. You are no longer used to seeing and hearing at normal levels of clarity. You will get used to it after a while. You may need to adjust back to the enhanced senses when your magic is released to protect Midgard."

"Um, excuse me." They all turned to the witnesses as Tony Stark stood up. "Does no one else see a problem with this? If Loki has to readjust every time his magic is bound or unbound he's going to be awfully vulnerable. I mean, seriously. Our reaction time has to be in seconds or milliseconds. He's not going to have the leisure of adjusting each time; that could get him killed."

"Then he will need to avoid using his magic to enhance his senses when it is loosed so that he will not need to readjust," Odin responded. "There is naught we can do about it." He looked between the two of them. "You two will need to practice the unbinding and binding until Loki has fully adjusted and he can handle the change without this issue arising. Now," Odin continued, looking at the witnesses. "Prince Nyvorlas," he said, addressing the Ljósálfar Queen's representative and younger son. "Would you test the binding for us all?"

Nyvorlas stood and bowed briefly, then walked over to Loki. He held his hands out and a silvery-blue glow emerged. Moving closer cautiously, he laid those hands on Loki's shoulders. Nothing happened and the Ljósálfar smiled. "His magic is unavailable to him, All-Father," he assured Odin.

Odin nodded. "Thank you. Councilor Eltargrim," he continued, addressing the elderly Dökkálfar. "Will you confirm Prince Nyvorlas' finding?"

"I will come to you, Councilor," Loki said hastily as he stood and crossed the room watching his step carefully, probably still having trouble adjusting his eyesight. He dropped down to one knee before the old dwarf and waited.

Eltargrim nodded. "You always were the courteous one," he said in a raspy voice as he held out his hands. No glow emerged. Loki had explained to her that while the Dökkálfar had no magic of their own, they could create magic bearing weapons and could easily sense and read another's magic. The ancient one frowned thoughtfully. "I find no magic in him at this time," he finally concluded. Kara frowned when Eltargrim looked sharply at her. "You, young princess," he said. "Come here if you would humor an elder."

Kara looked to Odin for permission and then crossed the room at her father-in-law's nod. Settling down beside Loki, she asked, "Is this good, Councilor?"

"Aye, child." He held out his hands for a few long moments and then nodded. "I feel the magic here, but it is well bound," he finally said. "All is how King Odin has guaranteed."

Loki stood and held a hand to assist her to her feet as Odin nodded. "Thank you, Councilor. Do any dispute Prince Nyvorlas or Councilor Eltargrim's findings in this matter?" No one spoke up. "Then we are through here. My son and his wife will return to Midgard until she has recovered from her ordeal enough to accompany him to Jötunheim. At that time they will journey to Prince Helblindi's realm so that Loki may serve that part of his sentence. Upon completion, they will return to Midgard so that he may begin serving his sentence there."

… …

"Is your vision clearing up any?" Kara asked him as they neared their chambers. Though her arm was tucked into his, she was doing the navigating.

"It's not a matter of it clearing up, I simply must get used to it not being so sharp as it was," he explained. "The same with my hearing," he added before she could ask. Loki could barely hear her soft sigh. "It will take some time, love. Try not to worry."

"Somebody has to worry. What is it with you people? No one seems to think things out before they bull ahead and do them."

"I think things out, probably in far too much detail. But yes, that is a failing that many of the Æsir share."

"It annoys the spit out of me. And…hello. Who are you?" Kara interrupted herself to say. Loki peered at the figure that had turned the corner directly into their path.

"Malekith. What are you still doing here?" he asked the Svartálfar's de-facto ruler.

The half-breed light and dark Álfar might be sneering at them, but Loki couldn't really tell. "The same as all the others, Loki; I am ensuring that your powers have been bound according to your sentence. Since your so-called father refused me admittance to the event, I'll just test it myself, shall I?"

While he couldn't reach his own power, Loki could still feel that of others and Malekith's was rising quickly. "Run, Kara," he hissed urgently before his air was cut off and he could say no more. He staggered back against the wall as Kara pulled away and was sliding down it, still unable to breathe as she spun to face the enemy. Damn the woman, did she never listen?

Kara stood silently for a moment and then groaned in frustration. "He's blocking me somehow," she said. As Loki watched, horrified, she screamed at the top of her lungs and threw herself at Malekith. Her surprising attack distracted the Álfar sorcerer for a moment, long enough for Loki to get a much needed breath of air. Then the relentless magical choking resumed and the bastard threw Kara hard into the wall beside him while he was forced to watch impotently. As his vision began to dim he could hear running feet pounding down the halls. Kara's outraged scream had been heard.

… …

Thor rounded the corner to a horrifying sight. Loki was slumped against the wall, his face tinged with blue…from oxygen deprivation, not a change to his Jötunn form. Kara was sprawled facedown at his brother's side, clearly unconscious. Malekith stood several strides away, grinning maliciously. Without taking time to analyze, he hefted Mjölnir and prepared to swing. The Svartálfar's face turned ashen and he dropped to his knees, raising his hands in surrender. Thor could hear Loki take a gasping breath. "What have you done, Malekith?" Thor demanded, still holding Mjölnir ready.

"What is mine to do by right, Odinson," the Álfar claimed as several guards and the Avengers rounded the corner. "The All-Father refused me the right to see that the criminal's magic was bound, so I've tested it myself."

"Did you then doubt my word, Malekith?" Odin said as he arrived and stepped to Thor's side. Thor cast an anxious glance at his father. He'd been tired before and hurrying to the scene could not have done him any good, but Odin still looked robust and strong.

Malekith's expression turned crafty. "Not your word, but your ability to do the deed properly. Loki's magic is stronger than yours, or had you not noticed?"

"I had, and took the appropriate precautions. The binding was tested by Prince Nyvorlas and Councilor Eltargrim. Do you doubt their word?" Thor marveled at Odin's calm tone. This was something he'd do well to copy in such trying circumstances.

"Of course not," Malekith allowed, his voice now sullen.

"So I thought." Odin turned to the guards. "Escort Malekith to his quarters to collect his belongings and his attendants, then escort them all to the Bifröst. They will be leaving immediately."

"I have not yet seen to all my dead," the Svartálfar ruler protested.

"You have attacked my son and my new daughter in a dishonorable manner, one against which you knew they should have no defense. You have forfeited all rights to hospitality and you will be gone from the Valhöll and you will be gone from Asgard." Odin's eye narrowed and he seemed to grow in stature. "Go!" he bellowed as he slammed the base of Gungnir against the floor.

The guards surrounded Malekith and escorted him from the hall. Once they were out of sight, Odin slumped against Gungnir. Alarmed, Thor reached out to help. "Father, lean on me," he offered.

"I am fine, Thor. See to your brother and his wife."

Nodding, he dropped down beside Loki whose color was finally returning to normal. Loki waved him off. Kara still was not moving. "What happened to her?" he asked.

"Bastard threw…into wall," Loki muttered hoarsely. "Don't move her…heard bones snap."

"I'll find Lady Eir," Thor promised and headed down the hall at a swift trot.

... ...

Loki sat beside the bed where Kara still lay unconscious. He'd been examined and pronounced 'fine' by Eir. Kara was not so 'fine'. Thank the gods that her body had changed so dramatically in such a short time, else she would have died from the impact against the wall. As it was Eir was keeping her unconscious until her broken back healed enough for her to safely move without causing herself further injury. Thanks to the goddess's strong healing gift, that would only take a bit more than a day. "You should get some rest, my son," Frigga said as she rubbed his slumped shoulders. "I'll sit with her while you sleep."

He shook his head. "I almost lost her." She hadn't been wearing her armor; he hadn't seen the need since they weren't leaving the Valhöll. Foolish of him. "I should have had her wear her armor," he said, hating himself for the fear that crept into his voice.

"She should not have needed it. This is my fault, Loki. We should have sent an escort with you, we knew Malekith was still here. I am sorry."

Loki looked up as Odin spoke. His father looked tired. Gods forbid he would succumb to the Odinsleep so soon, there was too much unrest and Thor was still not prepared…though he was far more so than he had been before. "You need to rest, father."

"I will, my son. I wanted to apologize first and to personally assure you that Malekith and his people are gone. They are banned from Asgard and will trouble you no more here."

"We can't stay in Asgard long, I have sentences to serve." Loki stroked the delicate hand that rested in his. "She refused to leave me. Malekith had guarded against her powers with his sorcery, she discovered that and still would not flee. She tried to attack him physically, when she had no hope of success."

"She is a brave and determined woman, and she loves you well. Did you truly expect her to leave your side?"

"No," he answered his father ruefully. "But I hoped she would see the sense of going for help."

Odin laughed loudly, earning himself shushing from the healers in attendance. "Kara is also a most stubborn woman. I am surprised she did not find a way to stop him on her own."

Loki shrugged. "She did distract him long enough for me to breathe a bit. Unfortunately, I was unarmed as well as without my magic, so could not take advantage of it." Shaking his head he muttered, "Yet again, I am a failure."

He winced as Frigga smacked the back of his head. "Stop that this instant. You heard your father, this is our failure, not yours." Her arms snaked around his neck and she hugged him back against her. "You forget your successes. You saved your brother's life. No one else, _you_ did it. If you had not broken through that barrier, if you had not been able to take up Mjölnir, he would have died."

"Kara…"

"Kara could not have helped him if she couldn't get to him, now could she?" Frigga said as she moved to his side.

"No." Irony, he thought. His one success was in saving the 'brother' he'd once tried to kill. At least now he knew why he'd failed in that. He really did love Thor, despite their dysfunctional history. "Get father to bed for rest. Thor isn't yet ready to take over."

"He's come far, Loki," Odin said. "But you are right. He is not yet ready. I will go rest so that he is not called to the task of governance again before he is truly prepared for it." Loki nodded and stood when Odin held his arms open to him. The rare hug was welcome. "Hopefully, by the time I must give him the throne, you will have satisfied your obligations and will be free to stand beside him as his advisor."

Loki felt his jaw begin to drop and resolutely clenched it. "Had you intended such before?" he asked.

Odin sighed. "Eventually, yes. But I had thought to train you while he sat the throne. I see now that I should have done the reverse. First trained you to advise so that you would be ready to support him and help him to hold the throne wisely once he took it. And that," he said heavily, "is one of _my_ failures."

"Hmm, yes. It ranks right up there with leaving me to discover my heritage on my own."

"I'd hoped you would never need know. I know how our people fear the Jötunn, I did not want them to fear you." He grimaced. "Had Laufey been more amenable to peace, I would have taught them there was no reason to fear any Jötnar. Alas, he was not. Perhaps your half-brother will be wiser than his father."

"We'll know soon enough. Have you thought much on who will accompany us to Jötunheim?"

Odin nodded. "A squadron of elite guards, along with Sif and the Warriors Three. I cannot send Thor, that would be too much of a temptation, having both my heirs in such a potentially hostile situation. I spoke with your Midgardian friends. Their world has Arctic weather gear which your Iron Man will obtain for Kara to wear under her armor and protect her from the cold. He believes it can be acquired while the two of you are testing her abilities in the desert."

"I'd planned to ask him but was distracted. Thank you." Loki frowned. "And yes, I will thank Tony as well." He had turned back to his lady when one of Odin's comments finally sank in. "What? Both of your…surely you cannot still consider me one of your heirs?"

"Your friends proved that you are half Æsir, my son. I have strong suspicions as to your mother's identity. There have never been many Æsir females capable of shape shifting who would have held such power as you have inherited, and only two of them have been unaccounted for since before your birth." Loki stared at the All-Father's somewhat smug expression. "Both of them have royal blood. Your Iron Man tells me that if we obtain certain items such as hair, blood and saliva from close family members of the missing women, they will be able to determine if you are related to them and thus confirm your mother's identity."

Loki could feel his jaw dropping in shock. He bore the blood of the royal house of Asgard. While Thor still had the most direct claim to the throne, he could be considered equally worthy despite his sire's blood. "They still would not accept me over Thor," was all he managed to say.

"No, Loki, that is true. But they could not refuse you a high and honored place in his court. Your brother will not need to force your acceptance upon them. Between your blood and your adoption, that high place is yours by right."

"And yet, should I play my cards right with Helblindi and Býleistr, I can still be the path to the lasting peace that you envisioned."

"I have not seen that as a priority since you were yet an infant. I have told you…"

"And I believe you. Yet, it is something that will benefit not only the Realm Eternal, but all of the Nine Realms. I will work for this, not for your plans, but because I want a family with my lady, and I want a safe future for that family." Loki stared Odin down until the old man nodded. "Now please, father. Go get some rest. We all still need you."

... …

Nyvorlas paused at the entrance to the private room occupied by the injured Princess Kara. Loki sat beside her, holding her limp hand and glowering at the floor. The half-breed Æsir prince's expression was pensive and his emotions hovered between distraught and hopefulness. He cleared his throat softly and waited until Loki gave him a questioning look. "Is she resting well?" he asked.

Loki shrugged. "It is hard to tell since Eir is forcing her to remain unconscious and is blocking pain from her."

He nodded. "Her mind feels quiet, I do not pick up any anxiety. It feels as though she recognizes your touch and that reassures her."

"I'd forgotten the Royal House of Ljósálfar were empaths. Thank you, knowing that is helpful."

"I've spoken to your lady mother and to Lady Eir about your wife's request. The empaths in Asgard do not, as a rule, practice shielding, that is why they remain so solitary. My people, on the other hand, must shield our minds or risk insanity. I-I would consider it an honor to help your lady with her problem."

Loki frowned…no, glared at him. "Why?"

"Loki, my siblings and I remember your visits fondly. Do not give me that look, it is true. We never much cared for Thor, he has all the grace and wit of a water buffalo and the crudity of a common soldier when it came to females. You, on the other hand were amusing, provided good conversation, and treated even our serving girls with finesse if not always respect." Nyvorlas grinned at the memory of a prank Loki had played on his mother's most recent consort. "And you made life at court interesting. I don't think any of us will ever forget Tolthe's face when you made him believe his manhood had withered."

A smirk curved Loki's lips. "I will never forget your mother's face when she believed it. Fortunately she figured out it was an illusion before she decided who was to blame, else she likely would have felt risking war with Asgard was worth taking my head for depriving her of her lover."

"Too true. Good times." Nyvorlas frowned. "We were appalled when we heard what you had done."

"Not when you heard what I was?"

He shrugged. "Jötnar are no worse than Æsir in our eyes. Both are barbarians in many ways. The Æsir have simply proved to be more powerful." Loki stared at him, waiting. "I was honestly glad to hear there were such mitigating circumstances. It was hard to believe we had not truly known the man you are."

"I tried to kill my brother who loved me, Nyvorlas. I did kill the man who sired and abandoned me. I doubt you believed I was a man who could do those things."

"The first, no. The latter, of course; I would have done the same in your place. Laufey was an obscenity, he deserved to die. You did not kill your brother, though, and I do not believe it was from lack of ability."

"Then you are a fool."

"Don't insult the man who can and is willing to help your wife safeguard her mind. With your magic intact, you could take Thor if you so desired. He lives because of your lack of conviction in the attempt. You know it, I know it, and I suspect both he and the All-Father know it as well."

Loki's frown was sullen. Yes, he did know it, but would be damned before he'd admit it. Definitely the proud, stubborn prince he remembered. "I wanted to hate him. I told myself that I hated him."

"Yet you never truly did. It is much the same between me and Edansyr. I have resented him all my life, but cannot find it in me to hate him despite his apparent perfection in my mother's eyes and in the eyes of her nobles." Nyvorlas nodded as recognition dawned in Loki's expression. "Yes, in that way we are much alike. Younger brothers always experience such, whether they are of the same blood or not. It is the curse of being younger, nothing more and nothing less." He bit back a sigh as the dark prince's gaze returned to his comatose wife and a brooding mein settled over his features. "Send for me when she is well enough to discuss shielding. If I am not in my chambers, I will likely be visiting with your lady's friends from Midgard. I haven't been there since I was a boy and would learn of how it is today."

… …

Beth was startled out of her reading by a crack of thunder and flash of lightning. When she'd opened the cumbersome text book to get in some studying, there hadn't been a cloud in the sky. Had a front blown in that quickly? "Jarvis, has the weather forecast changed?" she asked the ever-present AI.

"No, Miss Anderson. There is an energy buildup on the landing pad. It appears that Prince Thor is about to arrive. I have notified Dr. Banner."

"Oh, okay. Thank you." She closed the book, leaving it on the kitchen table and headed for the observation lounge where the main doors to the landing pad were located. Pepper had invited her to move in to the tower temporarily when she'd heard that she was bunking on her workmate's couch while her apartment building was being repaired. The repairs had hit a snag as numerous code violations had been uncovered during the damage inspection. Going back to a cramped city apartment was totally going to suck after living, even for a few days, in the luxury of Avengers' Tower.

As she stepped into the glass-walled room the doors to the landing pad slid open and a tall imposing blonde dressed in some kind of dark ages type armor strode in. She looked up and up until she met the pure blue eyes in the bearded face. The man, or rather god, as this had to be Thor, gave her a puzzled frown. "I beg pardon, my lady, but who are you?" he asked politely.

"My name is Beth, I've been dating Steve Rogers," she felt compelled to explain.

"Ah, friend Steve did mention a Lady Bethany to whom I must give reassurance. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard." He held out a huge hand and bowed slightly.

Not sure what the protocol should be, Beth placed her hand in his and smiled. "It's nice to meet you as well. I've heard a lot about you from Pepper and Natasha." She bit back a giggle. "And even more from Jane and Darcy."

Thor's eyes lit up and he smiled broadly, revealing perfect white teeth. "You know Jane?" he asked. "This is excellent. I have missed her…and Lady Darcy as well, of course."

The giggle escaped. "Oh, right, of course." She bet he missed Darcy, and was probably glad to have as much distance between himself and the saucy brunette's taser as possible. "Well, if you're going to be here for a few hours, I'm sure you'll see them. They went therapy shopping with Nat and Pepper. I had to work this morning, or I'd have gone with them." Thor had frowned, he probably didn't understand the concept of shopping for therapy. "They're trying to deal with not knowing what's going on with Tony and Clint," she explained. "Going shopping helps to take their minds off of it, especially with Darcy along to make sarcastic comments about every potential purchase."

"Ah, I see." Thor grinned again as the elevator doors opened. "Friend Bruce, it is good to see you!" he all but bellowed. Wow. Now she knew what everybody meant when they talked about how loud the man was.

"Good to see you as well," Dr. Banner answered. "Is everyone okay?" Trust Bruce to get right to the point.

"Aye, though the good captain is still forbidden from putting too much strain on his leg, though the break is healed, it needs more rest. My new sister is with the healers, she should be brought out of the deep sleep tomorrow if her back is sufficiently healed."

"That doesn't sound too okay," Bruce chided. "What happened that Steve broke his leg and what sister are you talking about, I didn't know you had one."

The blonde god sighed. "Captain Rogers was injured in the battle to close the gate. He is all but completely recovered. As to my new sister, she is Loki's newly wedded wife. And I think I should wait until the others have returned and Fury has been summoned before I tell you the whole of it."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know, this is waaaay past my expected date, but there was so much work piled up for me when I returned from my Vegas vacation that I had no time to write. Speaking of Vegas…their stage version of Rock of Ages, well, ROCKS. Thanks, everyone, for your patience. I hope this was worth the wait!


	40. Chapter 40

"She should awaken within the hour," Eir told him as she straightened and gave a final pat to Kara's shoulder. "If she feels more than muscle ache, send for me immediately. Otherwise, she is free to leave whenever she is ready, but do encourage her to have a hot bath and then a nap before attempting any strenuous activity." Loki nodded, refraining from making a facetious comment. "And love-making is considered strenuous activity; I do not care how relieved you are for her safety or the fact that you are newly wed, am I understood?"

He sighed and grimaced as he felt a slight flush rise in his cheeks. "Yes, my lady. You are understood." Eir nodded and hurried out of the room to attend to the remaining patients still recovering from the battle against the Chitauri. He picked up Kara's hand again. This time he felt a corresponding muscle tension in it and her fingers curled unconsciously around his instead of remaining limp in his grasp. He sighed again, this time in relief. That bit of movement, more than Eir's words, reassured him that his lady was well.

His eyes flew open long minutes later at the sound of a raspy whisper asking "How long?" Kara was looking up at him, her eyes drooping slightly. He smiled, glad that he was able to make out the tired expression clearly. He'd made good use of her time unconscious to train his senses to hear and see again normally.

"Over a day, love. The good news is that Eir was able to heal you completely. Once the soreness passes, you'll be fully recovered."

"I heard my spine snap, Loki…didn't I?"

"Yes, but you'll be fine. You just need a bit more rest." He frowned. "You keep regaining consciousness far sooner than expected. That's terribly contrary of you."

Her chuckle was a welcome sound. "You're just figuring out that I'm contrary? Damn. I thought you were a lot more perceptive than that."

"Promise me something, Kara?" he asked.

"What?"

"The next time I tell you to run; you will do so and not hesitate." She sighed and looked away. "Truly, love. I will not ask you to leave me if I think you can do anything. I respect your abilities, you know that. If I tell you to run it is because I know something about our enemy that you do not and I do not have time to share that knowledge with you. In those cases, run away and get help; Thor if possible, Banner or Stark if we are on Midgard and he is not."

"Okay, but if I run, I'm going to be releasing your abilities when I do."

"Perfect. But still get help. If I'm asking my amazing lady to flee, we will need all the assistance we can get, even if my magic is restored."

Kara nodded. "I promise."

"Thank you, Kara."

… …

Kara groaned as she slipped into the steaming water of the bath. The heat felt so good on her aching muscles. The water sloshed slightly as Loki stepped in and moved toward her. "I don't suppose you're going to rub my back?" she asked hopefully.

His rich chuckle made her shiver. "If that's what you'd like." His lean, long-fingered hands swept down her spine before began pressing in and working the muscles of her lumbar region carefully. "There's still a good bit of bruising, but it will fade by tomorrow."

She winced as those strong fingers moved to a tender area. "Hmm, maybe we should put off the back rub until then; I think some of the bruises are pretty deep."

He left off the impromptu massage and gathered her close. "After you've soaked a while, I have some liniment to apply…gently, of course." She could hear the smile in Loki's voice. His lips brushed her shoulder before moving on to her jaw and she sighed in pleasure. "Then, it's nap time for you."

"No lovemaking time?"

"No, unfortunately; Eir insisted we could not, else she would have to leave you asleep another day."

"Damn. I missed wedding preparations and fussing, and now I'm missing out on my honeymoon. This really stinks, you know."

Loki shifted her in his arms, cradling her to his hard chest. "I'm not pleased either. But once we've dealt with testing the increases to your gifts and with my service to my half-brother's realm, perhaps we can take some time for ourselves before Midgard becomes embroiled in some crisis we must help avert." He frowned thoughtfully. "Surely your honorary brother has connections at some suitable location for us to enjoy ourselves?"

She shrugged. "I know Tony has a mansion in Malibu that he'd probably be willing to loan us. The problem is going to be convincing S.H.I.E.L.D. to let us slip off of their radar long enough to have any privacy. They don't particularly trust me, and yet they trust me a thousand times more than they'll be willing to trust you."

"This is going to be a damned long century."

Kara had to laugh at his disgruntled expression. "I'm sorry," she managed when he glared at her. "But you did kind of bring their attitude on yourself. Their mistrust of me is totally unwarranted."

"I know it. I suppose we'll have to depend on their trust of…damn, they don't particularly trust Stark either. Who do they trust?"

"You know," she said thoughtfully. "I can't think of anyone they trust, at least not in the Avengers. From what I've observed, they trust Maria Hill, but we don't trust her. She's a suck up and toady and quite frankly her psychological profile is on the pathological side. I think they trust Raj Nassar, at least more than they trust Nick. I'm not sure why, though. Since we all resigned and pretty much blackmailed them into accepting our resignations, they're not even going to trust Hawk or Nat."

"That still surprises me. Barton was fully committed to his organization."

She snorted. "This will surprise you even more. It was Steve who told them they had to choose between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers and that they had to resign from one or the other." Loki chuckled and shook his head. "What?" she asked.

"Actually, that does _not_ surprise me. Captain Rogers is all about loyalty to one's fellow warriors. He is the ultimate soldier, is he not?"

"Uh…oh. Yes, you're right. Hmm. Since we may have a lot of time on our hands, maybe you should study psychology. You've got a knack for it."

"I'd rather further study your technology. I think much of it can be adapted to work with magic, and be much improved by the process. Not that I could share such things with Midgard as a whole, but it could be beneficial for your…our friends." He smiled as she tried to hold back a yawn. "I think my lovely wife is ready for that nap."

"Any prohibition against taking that nap with me, and holding me?"

"No, love, none. In fact, I must insist upon it."

"Good."

… …

"Nick, calm down," Raj said as he watched S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director pace around his new marble desktop.

"How the fuck can I calm down? We've had three serious threats in as many days and we still only have one third of our strike team available. What the hell are they doing in Asgard? It's been damn near five days!"

"Nick…"

"_And_ I have the Council on my ass, as you damn well know. What the hell am I supposed to tell them? Sorry, we just don't know when we can expect Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye and Hellbringer back? That would go over real well with those chicken-hawk mother fuckers."

Raj bit back a grin. "So they are…most of them." He let the grin emerge when Nick dropped down in his leather executive chair behind the red marble of the repaired desk. "Still angry with Loki, I see."

Fury's one visible eyebrow lifted. "Were we even discussing that crazy son of a bitch?"

"The Avengers did leave at his behest. Though actually, it was a comment on your desktop. Choosing red over the more soothing blue is indicative of repressed anger and frustration."

"Choosing red means the blue was on backorder and I didn't feel like waiting three months to replace the damn thing. The other options were black - and I'd lose half of my folders against it, or green - and I sure as hell wasn't going there."

Eyeing the stack of black folders that sat on one edge of the desk, Raj nodded. "I agree, and the green would have been a bit much, considering. Well, the red is an intimidating color, which is likely more appropriate to the atmosphere of this office."

"Whatever. Just keep that insane bastard out of my office; the last thing I need is a matching set," he grumbled, nodding to the large glass jar that held a collection of blue marble fragments.

"He's not clinically insane, you know." He shrugged at Nick's glare. "Moreover, the Avengers left willingly to help him, and Thor, of course. Who's to say they will not return with both Asgardians in tow?"

"You are just a fucking ray of sunshine today, aren't you, doctor?"

"That's better than a foul-mouthed pessimist. And yes, I know the Council pushed you to your limit today. It's what we do best. It's when you surpass your limits that you do your finest work, Nick. You know that."

"The last time I was pushed past my limit I had to sacrifice one of my own. I won't forget that."

"It was not a unanimous vote."

"I respectfully suggest that the decision to launch a nuke, particularly at a civilian target, _become_ subject to a fucking unanimous vote. We don't need panicked politicians making military level decisions simply because they are in the majority."

"True."

… …

"She's been sleeping normally," Loki told his parents as he held his door open to them. "The bruising is still severe, but otherwise she seems well."

"That is glad news, my son," Frigga said as she moved to embrace him. Loki stiffened for a moment before relaxing and returning his mother's hug. "How do you feel?"

"Weak. No, not physically," he clarified at her worried frown. "I still automatically reach for that which is no longer there. It…" he trailed off, giving Odin a hard look. "It frustrates me," he finished, knowing his voice was sullen, but unable to keep the tone out of it.

"It frightens you," Odin corrected. "And it should. You are vulnerable in a way you have not been since you were a child. I would it could be otherwise, Loki." The All-Father did not reach out for him, though by his expression, Loki thought he might be holding back the urge to do so. "I know you detest this, but there was little better I could do for you considering the extent of the damage you did."

"Of course, it's _always_ my fault." His bitterness all but overwhelmed his good sense. Folding his arms across his chest he forced himself to think of the woman still abed in the adjoining room. "No matter; I have what I need most…who I need most. I will manage. Assuming we even survive it."

"That's looking unlikely," Kara spat from behind them.

He turned, frowning at her angry tone. "Love, you should still be asleep."

"Yeah, I know, I'm contrary. Sorry, been that way too long to change much now." She was dressed an outfit his mother had gifted her with that resembled Sif's normal attire. "Now, we're going to talk."

"Kara, perhaps…"

"Perhaps you should let me finish," she snapped. His jaw dropped slightly; he could feel the force of her anger but he did not feel she was consciously augmenting and projecting it. "What the hell is wrong with the Æsir?" she asked, turning to face his parents. "You sit on your high and mighty asses, making judgments, acting like you're all magnanimous and merciful, when in reality you've passed a death sentence. You," she all but snarled, pointing an accusing finger at Odin. "You claim to love Loki, but either you are a freaking idiot who refuses to think things out, or you're a liar. I'd like to know which it is."

Oh, gods. Loki stepped in front of her as she moved closer to the All-Father. "Kara, stop. He could not have known…"

"It's his damned job to know, Loki. You can't be the All-Anything and let things like this slip." Loki groaned. Odin was not going to be able to let Kara's disrespect go unpunished this time. "It's not about disrespect," she told him, still able to read him like a book. "I'm pissed. We both almost died and we're not even off of Asgard yet." She sidestepped him and planted herself in front of the All-Father, feet set firmly apart, her hands on her hips. "There are magic-users on Midgard. Maybe not your level, or Loki's, but I'm betting that half and half bastard wasn't on your level either. And I'll bet there are magic users in the other seven realms. I am not going to be able to release Loki's power to him fast enough to account for that kind of attack. We won't last a year, let alone a hundred and ten of them."

Odin was going to swat her like an annoying insect, of that Loki had no doubt. He turned to the old man, hopeless, but determined to intervene in any way he could. "Father, she does not mean to accuse you; she is simply frightened, please…"

"Loki," Odin interrupted, his voice tired…and…gentle? "Your wife is right. I did overlook this possibility and you were both nearly killed. I have accepted the anger of your brother and of your friends. I will accept Kara's as well, because it is well deserved. I have failed you both."

He stared at Odin in shock. Never, in all of his years, had he seen his father accept full blame for anything. His mouth twitched as he felt Kara's seething anger recede. A glance showed that she was every bit as shocked. "So," she finally said, with just a touch of belligerence in her voice. "What are you going to do about it?"

"We are working on amulets for the two of you to protect you from any initial magical attack. They will likely fail once they've done so as it is not possible to imbue an artifact with ongoing protection from magic. What it will do is give you enough time to react and to release Loki's power to him so that he may counter the threat directly."

"And if we're not together at the time?" she demanded

"You do not even need to be in the same realm for you to return his power to him. It is still his power, you simply hold the key. If you are attacked by magic, turn that key, he will feel his magic return and know you are in danger and will be able to come to your aid. If he is apart from you and attacked, his amulet will call to yours so you know to release his power and then he can fight back once you do so."

"When will they be ready?" Kara asked.

"Not for a few days, this is very delicate work and not something that has been attempted before."

Loki frowned as his lady huffed in annoyance. "We can't stay here another few days. I already can't block anyone's feelings. And judging from everyone's expressions I'm projecting without meaning to. I'd hate to think of what might happen if someone seriously pisses me off and I can't control my fire. We really need to get to Midgard so I can test that out." She looked at Frigga. "Any luck in finding someone who can help me learn to shield again?"

"Yes, dear. And that same person is a magic user of respectable power so you can leave for Midgard in the morning and be assured of protection until the amulets are ready," his mother said soothingly. "Jötunheim will have to wait, as he cannot tolerate the temperatures there, even using his magic to augment his tolerance."

"He?" she asked.

Loki stroked her cheek as he drew her close. "Prince Nyvorlas has agreed to assist you in this. Apparently the Æsir empaths know little if anything about shielding, which is why you haven't met any of them." He turned to frown at his parents. "I'm surprised he agreed to assist with protecting us magically, though."

Odin chuckled. "It was a good excuse for him to see Midgard again. Under the terms of the accords he has not been able to travel there since he was but a boy. He seems eager for the experience."

"Huh. How are we going to explain an elf?" Kara muttered.

"That is not your problem. Haakun will be accompanying you as well. He will speak as my representative to any who question your presence and to your officials to ensure that our will as regards to Loki's sentencing is carried out."

Loki sighed but supposed it could be worse. There were a number of councilors and nobles who might have been chosen for the task that had actively disliked him even before the events of the past year. "Are the rest of the Avengers still here?" he asked.

"Yes, and they've asked if you will join them for the evening meal. A small dining room is ready for you if you are both feeling up to it."

He looked to Kara who nodded. "Yes, we are. And we'd best see them before my honorary brother-in-law loses patience. I'd hate to see what trouble he could ferment were that to come about."

… …

Hawkeye looked down from his perch above the balcony of the small dining room. Unlike their assigned rooms, this balcony overlooked the city. The buildings close to the palace echoed its grandeur though in a smaller size. It reminded him of the mansions of the truly rich compared to what had been dubbed 'McMansions' that were a favorite of those that aspired to obscene wealth. Same kind of detail packaged conveniently for the masses. At the edges of the city he could see more modest buildings, yet nothing looked poor. Not like on Earth, at any rate. "Where the hell are the people?" he muttered.

"What?" He looked back into the room as Stark spoke.

"All of those buildings and no people walking between them; or riding, or anything. It's like nobody's home."

Stark came out onto the balcony and stared out over the city for a minute before looking up at him. "Beats me." He turned back towards the room. "Hey, Fandral. Why does the city look so empty?"

Clint had to lean down from his perch to see the dandified Æsir. Fandral was frowning. "I know not," he said before moving to join them. "Hmm. Odd, indeed. Though it is late." He shrugged. "It has been an eventful week. Perhaps everyone is staying closer to home because of it."

"Fearful," Hogun said as he ghosted up behind them. Stark and Fandral flinched. Hawkeye grinned; he was the only one who had seen the man coming. "The Jötunn contingent headed out."

"Ah, that would explain it," Fandral agreed. "Perhaps we should go back in, the meal is being set up so Loki and Kara should be here shortly."

Stark followed the two Æsir back into the room. Hawkeye looked out over the city once more. In the distance he watched a small group emerge from the wall to continue down the Bifröst. Squinting, he could make out the disparity in height and coloring between members of the group. A small portion of them were definitely much taller…and blue. Nodding at the confirmation of Hogun's guess, he flipped down onto the balcony and headed in to the large banquet table just in time to see the door open and Thor usher in his brother and new sister-in-law. "About time you let the woman out of bed," he said to Loki, smirking when the god snapped a glare his way.

"Barton," he began, sounding aggravated.

"Ease up, I'm teasing. We do that to each other, you know."

"We, who?"

Clint shrugged. "The team. That's what Stark's nicknames are about, or mostly. It's all stress relief; kind of a safety valve so we don't take shit out on each other."

Loki blinked, looking thoughtful. "So you don't mind that he calls you by the name of a fictional elf?"

Actually, that did rankle. He shrugged. "I may not like it, but I'm not going to get pissed about it. It's his thing. He doesn't like me building nests in high places around the tower, but he doesn't take them down. Same thing, more or less."

"I suppose you think I should remove the programming loop then?"

"Oh, fuck, no. That's too damn funny." He decided to score points with Kara. "Besides, it's mischief, right? That's _your _thing. It doesn't hurt anyone, so what the hell. Just don't mess with anything serious, like weapons and stuff, and we'd all be cool with that."

"I never said I was cool with that," Stark grumped.

"Oh, come on, Tony," Steve interjected. "Think team for a change."

"Yeah, yeah, I think team. I gave the team my damn tower, didn't I?"

Clint snuck a glance at Kara. She looked stressed, but a smile was beginning to grow. "Yeah, you did, and thanks for the obstacle course, by the way," he added.

"You are welcome, Legolas. Glad somebody here appreciates my hospitality."

"I appreciated your hospitality, Anthony," Loki drawled, apparently using Stark's full name because of the Legolas comment…that was cool. "I left the building in better shape this time, did I not?"

Kara snickered outright as Tony's mouth dropped open. The billionaire looked stunned for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, yes you did. And you also refrained from throwing me out my own window. I'm totally grateful for that."

"Okay, guys. That's enough. Anyone who doesn't know you would think you were being sarcastic and that you don't like each other," Kara told them.

Choking back a laugh, Clint held up a hand. "Hey, just because we're a team, doesn't mean we have to like each other."

"No, just so long as you appreciate each other and trust each other." She frowned. "Okay, trust each other within reason."

It was Loki's turn to laugh. "I'm glad you added that last, my love. I'd be disappointed indeed if they fully trusted me."

She glowered at him. "Yeah, I know. You're _contrary_ that way."

… …

Thor frowned. Watching the conversation go back and forth was giving him a headache. But it seemed that his brother and the Avengers were in good spirits with each other. Tony Stark walked up to Loki and draped an arm across the taller man's shoulders. "Seriously, Lokes; the place wasn't the same with you gone. It was getting damned boring. I'll be glad to have you back."

Ah, so they were indeed jesting with each other. Good. "That will still be a while, my friends," he told them. "We will be taking you all to Midgard so Kara may practice using her fire with her newfound strength. Then she and my brother must away to Jötunheim until the ice fields there are repaired. That may take some time."

Loki nodded agreement. "I have not seen the damage, but even if it is less than I suspect, it will still be a week at the least."

Tony shrugged. "That's cool. It'll give me a chance to do some redecorating. At least, I assume you'll want to change your suite again, Kara?"

His new sister frowned. "I imagine Loki will be more comfortable if it's predominately green again."

"What do you mean, again?" Loki asked.

"I kind of destroyed the entire interior of the bedroom after you left. I was…upset."

He sighed and pulled her into his arms. "So long as you did not harm yourself, I suppose it was best to vent your frustration."

She shrugged. "Well, the good news is that we can have normal furniture. The metal didn't hold up after all."

Thor stared at her as Loki laughed. "Now that is my amazing lady," his brother said. "We can make choices before we leave Midgard. I assume you have internet access near where Thor met his Jane?" Loki asked the group.

Tony Stark spoke up. "Yes. I'll have some Stark Industries stuff flown in for you. My phones and tablets have satellite connections, so they'll work anywhere on the planet."

"Then that is settled. I see our meal has been set up. Shall we eat?"

"Indeed," Thor roused himself to say. "Loki, I will not be accompanying you to Midgard, father will need to rest and I have agreed to preside over court on his behalf for a short time. Volstagg will stay here, as will Fandral. They will be working with the guard complement that will join you on your trip to Jötunheim. Hogun has volunteered to return to Midgard with you, and Sif has offered to make the trip as well if you are comfortable with that."

Loki frowned for a moment as he stared at Sif. She, for her part, returned his gaze equably. "Her company is welcome." His mouth quirked. "Assuming she has been able to replace her sword. I'm afraid it did not survive an encounter with a Svartálfar axe when I sought to rescue you."

"When you succeeded in rescuing Thor," Sif corrected. "It was lost to a worthy cause and the All-Father saw fit to replace it with a much finer weapon."

Thor grinned as Loki and Sif looked at each other without their normal animosity. More progress; it was good. "There," he said. "You will have two admirable warriors at your back, as well as a magic user while your lady reacquaints herself with control of her gifts."

"Hey, and us. Don't forget us," Tony Stark reminded him.

"Never, my friend. Knowing the Avengers help to protect my brother and his bride puts my mind at ease more than anything else, save being there myself."

… …

Loki's mouth twitched as he combed his hair back. Kara was still pouting. They'd returned to their chambers after enjoying…and he admitted to himself that he had enjoyed it…dinner and conversation with the Avengers, the Warriors Three, Sif and Thor. His lovely lady was feeling much better and had proceeded to use every weapon at her disposal to ignore Lady Eir's orders as regards lovemaking. He still wasn't certain how he'd managed to resist the temptation she presented, but he had and was now dealing with a very disgruntled wife. "How much longer are you going to pout at me?" he finally asked.

"Until you feel bad for not making love with me," she informed him.

"Then you ought to have stopped before we fell asleep. I guarantee you; I felt badly about the decision even when I made it."

"But…"

"_But_, your full recovery is more important than the pleasure we could have had together." Her heartfelt sigh brought his smile out in full. "Tony has promised he will make arrangements for us to have a private room somewhere close to this desert. We'll make up for it then, I swear." She groaned and leaned back against his chest as he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Have I ever mentioned that I'm not a particularly patient person?" she asked.

"No, I don't believe so."

"Oops, my bad."

He laughed and released all but one hand and tugged her towards the door. "Come along, everyone is waiting on us."

"We could let them wait a little while longer and…"

"No. We're late as it is." His heart melted as her face fell. "I am sorry, love."

"I know."

… …

Nyvorlas stared at the door as though the intensity of his glare would bring forth the missing couple. Really, it was well past mid-morning and Loki and his bride had still not arrived. He wondered if the entire trip was going to be spent waiting on them. If so, he was going to be perpetually annoyed. Just as he was about to ask Thor what was keeping them, the door finally opened and the couple emerged, each carrying a small pack. Loki was arguing with his bride, oh _that _boded well. "Kara, it isn't seemly for you to be carrying it," the dark haired prince  
complained. "Everyone will think poorly of me."

"Well, too bad. I will think poorly of me if I can't carry my own damn stuff," she retorted. Loki heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Oh, give me a break. Anyone who really knows you will know it's all my doing and the people who don't; well, they already think poorly of you."

"You have a point," Loki admitted, though sourly. He turned and frowned at the assembled group. "Ah, we're late…as I told you."

"Well, they can thank you that we're not later still," Kara said with a shrug before she looked past her husband. "Good morning everyone, sorry we're late. I dawdled," she said with a sunny smile.

Unbelievable. The smile covered an annoyance that pounded against his brain. Kara and Loki were the ones who were late and Kara was annoyed with them? He narrowed his eyes, wondering if a trip to see modern Midgard would be worth dealing with this woman. "You've _dawdled _for more than an hour," he noted.

The woman's eyes widened. "Are we really _that_ late?" She actually felt surprised. "Damn. I thought it was maybe a quarter hour or thereabouts. I am so sorry." Again, the emotion he received was sincere. She grinned and glanced at Loki. "Well, I guess almost dying the other day messed with my time sense. Either that or it's Loki's fault for tempting me to dawdle more than I thought."

"I was not the one doing the tempting, Kara. Do not mislead them."

"Humph, if you hadn't spent so much time resisting me…"

"Then we would have been even later as you've already pointed out. Give it up, love. This one is on you."

Nyvorlas chuckled as the woman gave a disgruntled huff of breath. "Fine," she said. "But you still owe me some private time." She snickered as Loki rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we are finally here – and Tony, no snarky comments or I'll smack you. So, let's get going." She turned to Thor. "How are we traveling?"

"Haakun will have charge of the tesseract," Odin's heir said, referring, Nyvorlas thought, to the Cosmic Cube. "You shall all need to be physically connected to either it or in a chain to the person who is, so stow your weapons and belongings and remove any hand coverings." Thor waited as those wearing gauntlets removed them. The one known as Iron Man did something that caused his armor to retract and fold itself up into a small case with a handle. Once everyone was prepared, Haakun and the one called Steve Rogers each grasped and end of the device holding the cube and the rest of them assembled in a chain hand to hand beginning with Haakun and Roger's free hands. "Good journey, my friends," Thor told them. Haakun turned the handle of the device he held and reality shifted in an almost blinding glare of blue light.

… …

**Author's Notes:** Sorry folks, life got in the way of writing all week. Hopefully I'll have more time this week and can get the next chapter up by sometime next Saturday. Thank you for your patience and support! No smexy in this chapter, but I hope it was worth the wait.


	41. Chapter 41

"Holy crap! Jane, Jane, get over here, the monitors are going freaking nuts," Darcy yelled across the room.

Jane looked up from the charts she was reviewing. Darcy was positively frantic. Hurrying over, she joined the younger women and gasped as the readings for the Galisteo site leapt off the charts. "Somebody is opening a bridge; we'd better hope it's someone in Asgard. Jarvis, please ask Dr. Banner to join us, alert Natasha as to what's going on and get Nick Fury on the phone for me."

"Yes, Dr. Foster; Dr. Banner is on his way, Director Fury's line is ringing and I will have Natasha stand by."

"Fury here," the familiar and always terse voice of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director answered.

"This is Jane Foster. We've got an Einstein-Rosen Bridge opening at the Galisteo site."

"Any way of telling who's doing it?" he asked.

"I'm comparing readings as we speak. The closest one I can see is the reading when Thor opened the bridge from Central Park in New York to Asgard, so it is likely being opened with the tesseract. Any more than that is an assumption that I don't feel comfortable making."

"Understood; I've got eyes on the ground in Puente Antiguo; I'll have them haul it out to the site."

"Great. I've alerted Bruce, Natasha is in the air; I'll update her and get back to you."

"So noted, doctor; Fury out."

"Dr. Foster, I have Natasha for you," Jarvis informed her just as Bruce rushed into the room.

"Thanks, Jarvis. Oh good, you're here, I won't have to repeat it again," she said to Bruce. "Natasha, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Jane; Jarvis mentioned a wormhole?" Natasha's voice asked.

"Yes, at the same site where we first met Thor last year. By the readings it's been created by the tesseract."

"We can't know that it's controlled by friendlies…" Natasha began before another voice overrode her.

"Sure you can, Nat…Jane, is that you?" Tony Stark's voice came over the comm.

"Tony? Thank God. Are you in Galisteo?" Jane asked.

"I am, and I've brought a hell of a party. Uh, a good one. Nat, have you had a chance to test my new jet?"

"You mean the Avengers' new Quinjet? Yes, I'm in the air right now."

"Excellent. I need you to go down to the garage in the Tower and fetch the wraparound sunglasses from my Porsche…the gold one, and bring them with you out to the site. Bruce might want to tag along as well, there's some genetic stuff going on he's going to just love," he said, though it sounded like an afterthought. "Oh, and grab some casual clothes, underwear and such from Kara's closet. Toiletries too. She wants to get out of the Asgardian clothes and won't be able to make it back to the Tower for a bit."

"Why am I _fetching_ your damn sunglasses, Stark?" Natasha grated. "Your Iron Man suit not flashy enough?"

"Calm down, they're not for me, Kara needs wraparounds, she's having some eye…issues. And that pair will look good with her armor."

"Tony, did Thor come with you?" Jane had to know.

"Sorry, Jane, he had to stay home and mind the store. Nat, doesn't S.H.I.E.L.D. have some kind of ultra-thin arctic wear...something that would fit under Kara's armor?"

"It does. I take it she needs that as well?"

"Yep. Two sets ought to do it. Oh, and bring me two of the phones and tablets from the storage room next to my workshop, Jarvis will let you in."

"You'd better have one hell of a good explanation for all of this," Natasha informed him dryly.

"Oh, I do and it's a doozy. Can't explain it over the comm, you're going to have to see it in person. Can you get the arctic wear from Fury, and tell him everything's hunky dory out here in the process? He needs to come out himself for debriefing, but there's no danger, no need to scramble the troops. Might be nice if he could bring a couple of those portable shelters with him, you know; the kind I built that modified arc reactor generator for? At least some of us are going to need to hang out here for a week, maybe more."

"I'll do that. And I'll refer him to you when he starts ranting," Natasha said.

"What…what did you say? I…we have…bad…out…"

Jane jumped when Bruce broke out laughing. "You jerk; the old bad connection shtick doesn't fly when it's on your systems." Stark didn't answer. "He's got his own satellite," Bruce explained as Jane and Darcy stared at him.

"I might as well stay here and mind the Tower since Thor isn't with them," Jane said, hating that she sounded morose.

"Well, you'll still have me; and Erik should be back from his conference soon," Darcy told her. "We'll party our asses off."

"Jane, Bruce? I've been in contact with Fury. I'll be landing on the pad in ten. Is Pepper there?" Natasha asked.

"No, she's in meetings in the new Stark Industries offices," Jane told her, trying not to imagine how poorly Darcy's idea of partying would go over with Erik Selvig.

"_Govno_. Okay. When I land I'll dash down to Kara's suite for clothes, I know which she'll actually wear and pick up some for Hawkeye while I'm at it. Bruce, could you go retrieve the sunglasses and hardware and meet me at the landing pad?"

"Will do. See you soon."

… …

"Stark, if you don't respond, I'll have a strike team hit the area," Fury's voice threatened.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses. Seriously, no strike team, no unnecessary personnel. You can bring anyone you trust implicitly, any you don't or you know we don't, leave 'em at home."

"Stark…"

"Fury, if you bring one person here that can't keep their mouth shut I will blast them into oblivion. No joke; this situation needs to be kept under wraps."

Tony waited patiently…for him. He could all but hear Nick Fury grinding his teeth. Finally, the damned Matrix reject answered. "I will be there with limited personnel in an hour. You will then have fifteen minutes to 'wow' me, Stark. After that, if I don't call it off, a strike team will come in."

He grinned. "Oh, I can guarantee you'll be wowed in less than five. See ya soon!" Tony cut off the connection and flipped his visor back. "Fury is on his way, should be here in an hour or less. Nat and Bruce are headed out as well. I think they'll beat Fury by a good fifteen minutes."

"If Nat's flying, they'll beat them by twenty," the Hawk said with what passed for a smile. "She's got a heavy hand on the throttle."

"Please tell me she's bringing me clothes," Kara whined. "The leather looks great, but it's just too hot for New Mexico."

"She's bringing you clothes…and gold mirror finish wraparound sunglasses so you won't have people staring at your gorgeous eyes; they'll be ogling your boobs like the rest of us perverts."

"Stark…" Loki began, not really sounding menacing…well, not much.

"Take it easy, Taz, you know I keep my eyes to myself, mostly."

"Oh, Tony, Taz? Really?" Kara gave him a reproachful look.

"What? He looks cute until he opens his mouth or acts. Then he's deadly as all hell."

Loki sighed. "Kara, explain the reference."

"A Tasmanian Devil is a marsupial from the island of Tasmania in Australia. They look like a cross between a dog and a rat, and they're awfully cute when they're resting or sleeping. But if you get their attention in a bad way, they are pretty much the most viscous warm-blooded creatures you'll ever have the displeasure to meet." She sighed as Loki's eyes narrowed. "And before you get mad, you started it by calling him Stark instead of Tony."

"I'll let it go, _this_ time," Loki muttered, but the slight smirk suggested he was flattered.

… …

Haakun peered closely at the carved runes that encompassed the receiving platform. It had held up well, the desert climate was ideal for preserving them. Barring interference, this platform would be serviceable for centuries to come. Other sites across Midgard had not fared so well. The Iron Man had promised to show him images of the power centers so that he could advise them which were created by and were under the control of Asgard and which must be either destroyed or kept under close surveillance. He glanced back to where Loki was glaring down his long nose at the mortal in the metal suit. The man had no doubt said something offensive yet again; he seemed to be an expert at it. Keeping half an eye on the situation until Loki relaxed; he looked out over the rocky landscape. If their new Princess's ability to call on fire had increased as greatly as they feared, this would still be a safe place to test it. "Mistake after mistake," he said quietly to Hogun, who was pacing beside him. "We should have looked further into her abilities and the affect conversion would have on them."

The grim warrior shrugged. "No time and the benefit outweighed the risk."

"Possibly. Odin was determined to spare Loki a more dire fate. But do we wish to see so powerful a human? The other realms will not be pleased."

Hogun snorted. "She's no longer human."

"Good point. Yet even for an Æsir, one who has threatened the All-Father, no less, she is perhaps too powerful."

"Is Thor too powerful?"

"He is Odin's son."

"She is Odin's daughter by marriage," Hogun pointed out. "And an honorable woman."

Haakun hated taking anyone else's word for anything. But the normally quiet warrior was a good judge of character and would not have wasted so many words if he were not certain of his opinion. "I'll trust you are correct." An odd sound caught his attention and he turned to see a conveyance of some sort hovering over the desert floor near the rest of the group. It settled down and a ramp opened in the rear disgorging two occupants. He headed toward the vehicle, and saw the one called Hawkeye trot over to it and sling an arm around the waist of a woman…another redhead. Haakun frowned. This one looked harder than their new princess. Unrelenting. "Who is she?" he asked Hogun.

"Natasha Romanov, known as the Black Widow, another of the Avengers."

"And her gift?"

Hogun shrugged. "A highly skilled assassin and trained warrior."

That would explain the hard mien. "Do you trust her?"

"No."

And yet, he trusted Loki's bride, whose power was potentially devastating, interesting. "Yet the Avengers trust her?" Hogun nodded, but made no verbal response. Ah, well. "Who is the male?"

"Dr. Banner, he freed Loki from the Mad Titan's control."

"He does not appear that strong."

"We did not see his other form. I am told it is as tall as a Jötunn but more heavily muscled than Thor."

Haakun's eyes widened involuntarily. "That would explain the mystery."

… …

Loki had dropped to one knee and had insisted that she sit on the other. She thought it was kind of silly, but was enjoying the closeness, particularly since his normal temperature was a bit lower than an Æsir's, even when he was not in his Jötunn form. That reminded her. "Loki, can you still shift forms?" she asked as she watched Natasha and Bruce emerge from the Quinjet that had been painted with the new Avengers logo that Steve had designed.

His left eyebrow rose. "Yes, shape shifting between my natural forms doesn't take magic. I cannot take on the appearance of any other being, though."

"I never knew you could. If you have your power, can you shift into anything?" she asked as Clint steered Nat away from them. Bruce shook his head, said something she couldn't hear to Steve and Tony and then headed their way. He was carrying a large duffel bag.

Loki shrugged. "Anything mammalian with a similar mass distribution, so long as I am well acquainted with its physiology. It's difficult, though, and with the energy drain it is rarely worthwhile unless I intend to hold that form for an extended length of time."

"Huh. How about something much taller, like a full blood Jötunn?"

"Yesss, though my bones and muscles would be far less dense to account for the difference in height. Why…oh, I see. Yes, my birth mother must have done this."

"Yep." She gave him a mischievous look. "Since you don't need your magic to take your other form, we'll have to test if my cold tolerance has improved." He snorted softly, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. "Strictly in the interest of science, you understand."

"Ah, of course." He nibbled on her 'sweet spot' and she couldn't repress a shiver. "We shall have to give that some undivided…attention."

"Am I interrupting something?" Kara looked up as Bruce reached them wearing an amused but vaguely embarrassed smile.

"Nothing that hasn't been interrupted with alarming frequency over the past few days," Loki groused.

"Be nice," she told Loki. "Good to see you, Bruce. I hope you've got clothes for me in there?" she asked, giving the bag a hopeful look.

"I do, and…oh. Well that's interesting. What happened to your eyes?"

"It's a long story, and I only want to tell it once, so if you don't mind, we'll wait for Nick."

"I'll do my best to harness my scientific curiosity," he said with a grin. "I guess that's what you wanted with the sunglasses." Bruce reached into the bag and produced a set of mirrored wraparound shades with a flourish worthy of a magician.

"Oh, cool. Hey, they match my armor!" She slipped them on and looked up. "How do they look?"

"Great. Tony was right. Nice armor, by the way, I guess I'll hear about that when Nick arrives as well?"

"Yep. What happened…" she trailed off as the significance of the mark half-hidden by Bruce's collar sank in. "Oh…who are you seeing?" she asked, then chuckled as embarrassment rolled through him like a wave.

"Kara, I thought you could not read minds," Loki muttered.

"I can't, still. But I'd have to be blind to miss that hickey." She turned her head to give him a sharp look. "Um, I mean…"

"If you meant the mark on his neck, I noticed. I, however, had the courtesy to ignore it."

"Oh." She turned back to Bruce with a sheepishly apologetic smile. "Sorry."

He had pulled his reading glasses out of his shirt pocket and was fiddling with them. "It's okay. I'm sure it's difficult to imagine me chancing a relationship."

"Hmm, well, I can imagine you'd have concerns, but your control has gotten really amazing, so I doubt you'll have any problems. At the very least, you always know when it's coming now." Loki snickered in her ear and she turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Look," he said using his chin to point to their left.

She turned and nearly fell off of Loki's knee laughing. Clint had apparently told Nat about the 'improvement' to his quiver and not been believed. Arrows lay strewn all over the ground beside them and Clint was shaking his head and holding the still full quiver high out of Nat's reach. "Oh my God. What is he going to do with all of them?"

Loki shrugged. "Not my problem."

Bruce was staring with wide eyes. "Tell me what I'm seeing," he demanded.

"Loki gave Clint an excessive amount of magical refills on his arrows…wait a minute. Is the magic tied to the quiver then, and not to you?" she asked her husband.

"Obviously."

"Excuse me, I don't understand magic, I couldn't have known," she grumped.

He sighed. "You will learn."

"I really hate this learning on the job crap. It's all Odin's fault."

A smug grin appeared on Loki's face. "As usual."

Bruce sighed. "You really do have quite the story to tell us."

Kara snickered. "Oh yeah. And yes, it does have to wait for Nick."

… …

Sif stared at the black clad redhead who stood in the midst of Hawkeye's arrows. What a fool. If they were to be attacked the man would now be at a disadvantage. Perhaps Loki had a point about the denizens of Midgard being unworthy of their protection. She snorted. Under the circumstances Odin's choice of punishment for his wayward adopted son was looking more onerous with every passing moment. "He will kill one of them within a year," she said quietly to Hogun, Haakun and Nyvorlas. "I'll wager my favorite stallion on it."

"I'll take that bet," Haakun said as his eyes narrowed. "I'll put up my prize mare as my stake."

"Done." She raised an eyebrow at the Ljósálfar Prince's grin. "Did you wish to accept the bet?"

"Unless I'm much mistaken, my lady, you have but one favorite stallion. Have you aught else to risk?" Nyvorlas asked.

"You believe he can resist the temptation?"

"Enough to make a serious wager."

She frowned as she considered what she could offer that would tempt the second in line to the Ljósálfar Throne. There were many things he could offer as his side of the bet…magical items chief among them. No, the problem was what else she had of serious value. "I don't think I have anything else worthy to bet. Perhaps we can simply make a token wager, more for bragging rights?"

"Pity. I had a ring that confers invisibility for up to a quarter of a day each day to offer." He shrugged and walked off to examine a rather odd looking plant that bristled with thorn-like spikes.

Sif hurried to follow. A ring to turn a warrior invisible would be a treasure indeed. "Perhaps I could offer service as a bodyguard for a designated time?"

He looked her up and down. "No offence, my lady, but I am not merely a magic user. I am an accomplished warrior." His eyes narrowed. "I admire a woman powerful enough to battle shoulder to shoulder with Asgard's finest. I would wager the ring against one night in your bed…as a lover, if you find that acceptable."

She could feel her jaw drop. That…she frowned remembering Hogun's advice on gambling wisely. Never bet that which you are not willing to lose. Not that she had any doubts that Loki would succumb to the temptation to kill one of the Avengers before a year was out…still. By the nine, a ring of invisibility! "Agreed. The bet is whether Loki will intentionally try to kill or have killed one of the Avengers team members or a member of their household before the end of his first Midgardian year with them. My bet is that he will do so, your bet is that he refrains."

"My bet is that none of them intentionally _die_ at his hands or by his will," Nyvorlas clarified.

"Fair enough, I accept. If a mortal does not die, he doesn't truly mean them to do so."

"I'll have your hand on that," he said, holding his outstretched.

She stared down at the pale slender yet somehow masculine hand and then clasped it with her own. His well calloused palm was a surprise to her; apparently he was the warrior he claimed. "Done," she agreed.

"Done, my lady."

… …

"Hey, guys," Tony called out. Steve looked up from where he was standing, shaking his head at the mess Natasha had made with Clint's arrows. "Come on over here so we can give out the presents before Fury gets here."

"Good idea," he said and turned to head over to where Dr. Banner stood, talking to Kara and Loki. "You two coming?" he asked the assassins over his shoulder. "No one here will bother the arrows."

Clint sighed and grabbed Natasha's hand. "Yeah, be right there."

Kara was sitting on Loki's bent thigh with Tony's wraparound sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. They looked pretty neat; kind of disturbing, but not as disturbing as her eyes. He waited until they were all together. "Clint, you want to give them out?"

"Nah, you do it."

"Okay. Ahem. You'll hear the rest of the report later, but since we all helped save the day, Odin gave us presents, really great ones. Kara's got nifty armor that's not only stronger than anything Tony could have made, but lighter and more flexible too."

"And less vulnerable to magical interference," Loki added.

"Right. But that's because of the runes, isn't it, not the metal?"

"Correct." Loki looked surprised that he'd known that.

"Tony was given permission to use Asgardian metal working secrets they've provided to him to make better protective gear for me, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow, oh, and himself. That will benefit all of us except Dr. Banner. We were also given an amulet. It will…hmm, how do I explain this one?" he asked Loki, holding up the amulet Lady Eir had provided.

"It will put a critically injured person in stasis so that they may be healed without risk of them dying before any treatment can be completed. It won't help for anything that instantly causes death, but if someone is suffering from extreme blood loss, or cannot breathe, or other similar problems, we won't lose them so easily."

"Excellent," Banner said. "There's only so much we can do in the field; that will be a great help."

Steve grinned. He hadn't thought about it, but as their only medically trained member, even if he wasn't an M.D., Bruce was under a lot of pressure if anyone was injured. If he was hulked out and couldn't treat someone and they lost them, he'd feel all kinds of guilt. "And then we asked for something for you," he told the scientist.

"Oh?"

He held out the other amulet. "Here you go, put it on."

Banner shrugged, took the carved stone strung on what Steve had been told was an unbreakable chain and dropped it over his neck. The chain was long to accommodate the musculature of the man's 'other', so it hung down to the middle of his chest. "What is it for? I'm kind of indestructible."

"You are, but your clothes aren't," Tony told him. "And seriously, man. We've got enough opportunities for blindness every time the lovebirds swap spit without adding in seeing you naked again."

"Uh…what does this have to do with me ending up naked?"

Clint snickered. "It will make your clothes grow with you, and then shrink back when you shrink."

"Seriously? Hmm. I'll probably still want to kick off my shoes and take off my shirt. The other guy won't appreciate the constriction. But keeping my pants? That would be awesome."

"Stark, we need to talk," Natasha said, as she turned one of Kara's new gauntlets over in her hands. "I'd like to get my order in for an armored outfit."

"Yeah, no problem. You and the Hawk can sit down with Cap to do some concept sketches since you're the two least armored at the moment and then we'll talk turkey…uh, Asgardian metalworking. After we've got you both outfitted, we'll upgrade the red, white, and blue. Though, seriously, I think the shield stays as is, that little maneuver we did with it on Asgard was fucking awesome."

"Something else we have to wait to hear about until Fury arrives?" Bruce asked.

"He's arriving now," Loki told them. "And there's something wrong with his conveyance."

Steve frowned. "How do you know?"

Thor's brother pointed over to where the Ljósálfar prince had dropped to his knees, grimacing painfully as he covered his elegantly pointed ears. "Nyvorlas' hearing is much sharper than even mine. I'm just now starting to hear the engine, and there's a slight whine to it that sounds unfamiliar. Judging by his pained expression; the noise spills over into the ultrasonic range."

"Huh," Tony mused. "Ljósálfar and dogs, huh?"

Loki glowered at him. "I suggest you do not say that in Prince Nyvorlas' hearing. You'll cause an inter-realm incident."

"Hopefully he didn't hear it already," Steve said. "But I guess the bad engine noise is drowning Tony out?"

"No doubt. Please tread softly around him. Kara needs his help with her shielding."

Stark sighed. "You're just no fun anymore, Lokes."

… …

Nick stared out from the cockpit of the Quinjet. There were a lot more people here than he expected…and nearly half of them weren't Avengers. "You two stay here and get this bird in the air and out of the way if I don't give the hold signal in ten."

"Yes sir," the pilot said.

"Let's go visit the circus, doctor." He stalked down the ramp with Raj Nassar close on his heels and headed over to the group, becoming more pissed off with each stride. "Stark! What is that mother-fucker doing back here?" he snapped as Rogers stepped to the side and he saw the demented god of Lies down on one knee with Hellbringer balanced on the other.

"Nick, buddy! Good to see you," Stark called out in his cheery press-conference voice as Loki glared up at him.

If the misbegotten bastard's presence wasn't enough, he had that fucking scepter lying on the ground within easy reach. Son of a bitch. "You've got four minutes, Stark," he warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Did you bring the portable buildings?"

"I'll have them dropped off if and when you convince me to call off the strike team. I'm not going to waste the damn things."

"Okay." Stark shut up until he reached them. "Hey, doc, how are you doing?" he asked, looking past him to address Nassar.

"Quite well, thank you, Tony."

"Stark…"

"The woman you haven't met is Lady Sif, Asgard's greatest woman warrior," the billionaire interrupted smoothly. "The gentleman is Councilor Haakun, Odin's chief advisor and representative. He'll be explaining what's going on once you get that building set up so we can get out of nature's oven. You remember Loki and Hogun, no doubt." Stark winked…the pompous bastard actually winked at him! "Oh, and this," he said, motioning the group to part in the middle, "is Prince Nyvorlas of Álfheim, second in line to the Ljósálfar Throne."

A man, he thought, taller than Stark, but not as tall as Rogers, paler and more slender than Loki, if that was possible, wearing a mixture of what looked like silk and silver armor stepped forward. His long white hair was tucked behind upswept pointed ears. What. The. Fuck. "And a Ljósálfar is what?" he asked, grimacing as he heard the words come out in a breathless rasp.

"Light Elves, kind of like in Lord of the Rings," Steve Rogers explained earnestly.

"Son of a bitch." Nick glanced at Raj Nassar who looked nearly as shocked as he felt. He touched his earpiece. "Strike Force Bravo, stand down. I repeat, stand down. Acknowledge."

The voice of the strike force commander sounded in his ear. "Roger that, standing down, director."

"Team two, bring in your bird and get the portables set up at the site discussed."

Frigging Stark was grinning ear to ear as he turned toward his group. "I guess we wowed him."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Again, if you have a comment that is not a review, such as pointing out the Pepper and strawberries issue (again), please PM me, or at least log in before you leave the review so that I can respond to you directly, particularly if it has already been addressed in subsequent chapters. Thank you.

Reviews are like manna from heaven, I appreciate each and every one of you. I am so thrilled that my work has touched so many of you so significantly. As I type this, my friend is watching the Avengers, and Loki just popped up on the screen. Le sigh. On to writing chapter 42!


	42. Chapter 42

Kara sighed with relief as she pulled the leather cat suit from her overheated body. It wasn't the heat; it was the humidity, which she had been told was unusually and horrendously high for this area. "Damn, I wish we had a shower."

"We do," Tony said from outside the door of the small room she was using.

"Really?" S.H.I.E.L.D. had flown in not two but five portable structures once Nick Fury had gotten an eyeful of Prince Nyvorlas' long pointed ears. But they were still in a desert. "Where's the water going to come from?"

"Did you hear the choppers? They just landed two pretty huge water tanks. I guess the old pirate likes his comfort."

"Humph. I like my comfort…and so do you, rich boy."

"True. Did you hear me complain? And hey, did Nat pack a robe for you?"

"Um…I don't know." She rooted through the duffle bag. "Tony, did you tell Nat that Loki was with us?"

"Do I look stupid?"

"Only in the suit. Sorry, just teasing. Is the Widow psychic or does she just know you too well? She packed clothes for Loki, too."

"Huh. I wouldn't put either past her. But you'd have to ask Clint to know for sure. You ready to head to the shower yet?"

"Yes, I found a robe in here. You'd better go find Loki. He's liable to get pissy first and ask questions later if he sees you escorting me while I'm less than fully dressed."

"Shit. When you're right, you're right."

"Tony, when am I not right?"

… …

Nyvorlas watched the female Æsir as she kept a close eye on the humans unloading supplies from the various conveyances. It had been centuries since he had last laid eyes on the infamous Lady Sif. It had been during a State visit to Asgard and she had been a lithe beauty with almost metallic golden hair hanging on Thor's arm and his every arrogant word. Nyvorlas had found her insipid, at best. But now, now she was still lithe, but tight bands of muscle gave definition to every part of her magnificent form. The midnight silk of her hair, caught up in a tail high on the back of her head begged to be grabbed and wrapped around the palm of his hand. The danger of bedding a warrior of her renowned ferocity made his blood heat and pool in his groin. "Loki," he said quietly to the half Æsir prince. "I need a favor from you in return for helping your lady with her shielding issues."

Loki's green eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare. "I was told your payment was a trip to Midgard, something denied you according to the treaties."

"Promise me this favor and in return I will not only assist her with shielding, I will allow her to practice the projections she spoke of on me so that she will not endanger either your Æsir or mortal companions."

"I don't do promises…lightly. What is it you wish from me?"

"I want your vow that you will refrain from intentionally killing or intentionally causing the death any of the Avengers or members of their household for the entire first year you spend with them once you begin that part of your sentence…or before you begin it, for that matter."

A deep sigh was wrenched from the god of Mischief. "That is not much to promise. If I were to be the death of any of them, I would be back up in front of the Tribunal. Worse, Kara would likely never forgive me."

"I would also fear the latter more were I you. There is not much the Tribunal could do to you now that would not punish her as well. Regardless, will you give me your promise to this?"

"Why?"

Nyvorlas shrugged, deciding to tell Loki the truth. "I've wagered a ring that confers invisibility on it. I'd like to win that wager."

"Who bet against you? Oh, wait, never mind. No doubt it was Sif. Hmm, the only prize she has worth winning is a Friesian stallion. You have no need of another of those."

"No, besides which, that is what she will lose to Haakun. Her wager to me is for a night in her bed."

Loki turned around fully at that. He stared for a moment in shock and then began to laugh, long and loud.

… …

"You have your promise," Loki finally managed, wiping away tears of mirth. "I'm not sure what you want with her in your bed, but you shall have her. I wish you much luck in surviving it unscathed; I've not heard pleasant tales from those who have ventured there unwanted before."

"You don't think she'll accept me willingly in order to keep the honor of her bet?"

That did make a difference, he decided. "Ah, good point. Allowing it does not mean that she will give you cause to enjoy it, however. But, that is not my problem."

"Good to see something's restored your sense of humor, Lokes. I was thinking marriage had turned you into a party-pooper." Loki sighed at Stark's brash comment as the inventor came up behind them and clenched his jaw to refrain from snapping at him. "Though it does seem to have calmed you down a hell of a lot."

"Anthony," he grated, using the mortal's hated full name to express his annoyance. "You have not known me long enough to make that judgment."

Stark stopped in front of them, his armor packed away to reveal the dark shirt with some commercial artwork on it paired with the dark 'sweatpants' he typically wore under his metal creation. "True. I guess that's going to be rectified, though. What was so funny? I really could use a laugh before we have to sit down with Fury."

Loki glanced at the Álfar who shook his head all but imperceptibly. "An inside joke, Tony. And I haven't the patience at the moment to explain it to you. Where is my wife?"

"Oh, yeah. She's waiting for you to come escort her to the shower. We didn't think you'd be too happy to see her wandering around in only a robe without you."

"Good call." And that call had to have been made by Kara. Stark would not have seen the harm in it. It wasn't that he was jealous, Loki told himself. He simply had no patience with others enjoying what should be his alone. He'd rarely had anything beyond his books and clothing that was his and only his, now that he did, he absolutely refused to share. He nodded to Nyvorlas and stalked toward the portable building Kara had entered a short while before. Stark followed him closely. "Fury demanded I be shadowed, I take it?"

"Yeah. Look, you know he's a prick, I know he's a prick but we need to keep him on our side. Flying without a safety net like S.H.I.E.L.D. and all of its international contacts would be a headache we just don't need."

"I was under the apparently naïve impression that dealing with politics elsewhere in the Nine Realms was far more onerous then dealing with Midgard's. Obviously I was mistaken."

"Noticed that, huh? Well, we've called you crazy and maybe deranged, but we never called you stupid."

Loki stopped short and braced himself. As he expected, Stark couldn't stop fast enough and crashed into his back. He spun and glared down at the shorter man. "Fortunately for you I agree with that statement. I was quite deranged under the influence of the Mad Titan."

"Yet never stupid…outsmarted the bastard, in fact, while playing us like pieces on your chess board."

"Sincere flattery may just keep you alive; at least for a year." He grinned as the mortal's brown eyes widened. "Relax, Tony. Now I am teasing."

"You'd better be. Kara would have a fit otherwise. Hey, you know, you're like my brother-in-law now; honorary, anyway."

He gave Stark a long-suffering look, even though the man's apparent enthusiasm over the idea pleased him in some way he really didn't comprehend. "Don't remind me."

… …

Raj Nassar stared across the table at their extraterrestrial visitors. He was still having a bit of difficulty coming to terms with the fact that one of them was an elf. A true to the mythos, Lord of the Rings style elf, complete with long, silky looking alabaster hair and long pointed ears…and the ability to work magic. It was a good thing S.H.I.E.L.D. had another psychiatrist with top clearance that he and Fury trusted. He would certainly be in need of therapy once this was at least somewhat settled. He compressed his lips to hide a smile as he glanced at the shell-shocked countenance of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director. Nick would also be in need of therapy. Convincing him to get it, however, would be problematic. The visitors had finally stopped speaking. The Avengers and Loki sat quietly in their seats, waiting for Nick's reaction. "Is this what all of you understand to be the truth?" Raj asked, looking at the three male Avengers who had accompanied Loki back to Asgard.

"It's what we experienced, sir…doctor," Captain Rogers said firmly.

Nick was rubbing his chin. "Okay, let me get this straight. He," the director said, pointing at Loki. "No longer has his mystical mumbo jumbo, except when she," he continued, pointing at Kara, "gives it to him. But the two of them are now married according to Asgard customs. So what is stopping her from giving him his power back, period? We know the woman's in love with the crazy bastard." Raj winced at Nick's choice of words. Fortunately, neither Kara nor Loki seemed to be taking any great offence.

"Two things," Haakun, Odin's first councilor told them. "First and foremost, the woman's honor; we value her honor and she has proven it to us. Second, should anything cause that honor to be compromised, they would both be subject to execution in Asgard."

"Oh, that's all well and good, but how the hell are you going to take him down if he's got his juice back? Thor couldn't do it. He ran rings around your god of Thunder."

"He ran rings around all of you, Nick; not to mention the real enemy while that enemy thought that he had Loki under his control. You know that, you saw the images, you came to the same conclusion we did, that Asgard's Tribunal did. Why are you being an ass about it now?" Kara asked irritably.

"Because the mother-fucking Asgardians didn't hold on to him. I don't give a rat's ass what they do with him there; they can keep him in luxury and call him a hero if they feel like it. But no, they made him our goddamn problem again. And what the fuck is going to happen when your nervous system injury kills you? Does he get his mojo back?"

"It's cured. I had to save Thor the same way I saved Loki, Odin decided he owed me."

Raj stared. He was happy that Kara was no longer terminal, but really, that would be a serious complication for the council. Nick was frowning as he also digested the change in the dynamic. "Fine and dandy. How about when you die of old age? We've still got a problem."

"It's only one hundred and ten years, Nick. I'll still be pretty much exactly as you see me now."

Natasha Romanov and Bruce Banner joined Nick in the jaw dropping stare that was turned on Hellbringer. Raj managed to keep his jaw in place, but he would feel his eyes widening involuntarily. "Care to explain?" Nick said in a deceptively even tone that Raj knew was the calm before the storm.

"A marriage between a mortal and an Asgardian is not generally done, director," Councilor Haakun interjected. "In those rare instances where it is approved, the mortal must become Æsir. It is a long and dangerous process. Most mortals are incapable of surviving the first stage of it, so most of our people do not allow relationships with mortals to develop that deeply."

"But she survived it." Nick was frowning at Kara, his eye narrowed dangerously.

"Easily. In fact, she has passed through the second stage, decades ahead of schedule. She is no longer remotely mortal, and can no longer be classified as human. While she will develop even more, she is now, technically, Æsir and will live as long as any of us."

"She doesn't look any different," Nick argued.

"Sure I do," Kara said quietly and removed the wraparound sunglasses she'd insisted on wearing in spite of being indoors. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the far more dramatically multicolored irises that seemed to shift and change by the second.

Nick turned to look at him. "What the fuck do I tell our Council?" he muttered, sounding every bit as shaken as Raj felt.

He shrugged. "The truth. She is no longer our concern as she is no longer subject to Earth law."

"You can't tell me they'll buy that. She's on Earth, which makes her subject to Earth law."

"Gentlemen," Haakun interrupted. "She is now a citizen of Asgard, a Princess of Asgard's Royal House."

"There, Nick. I will advise that she has diplomatic immunity. All that we can do, and then, only if she breaks our laws, is to insist that she return to Asgard." He smiled. "That also applies to Loki since apparently Odin still considers him his son and a Prince."

"They won't even buy that load of shit from you. I don't care how you pretty it up."

"Oh my god; there aren't eight council members, there are nine, aren't there? I thought an even number was kind of odd, no way to break a tie," Kara said, her inhuman eyes turned towards him. "You're on the council, working undercover at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters."

Raj sighed. There was no point in denying it. Kara 'felt' stronger, empathically speaking, to his limited senses. "Yes. When Nick came to call the Council out over the decision to launch nuclear weapons against the enemy in Manhattan, he eloquently pointed out that we did not understand his decision to trust the Avengers to handle it because we were not in his shoes and had only facts and figures, not his insights as to their abilities and motivations. It was decided that we needed to have someone on the ground, so to speak, so that we could understand how he came to the conclusions he did. S.H.I.E.L.D. was in need of psychiatrists with high clearances, so I was chosen for the task."

"You son of a bitch," Stark snapped, standing abruptly. "You sent a fucking nuke to my fucking tower."

"The vote was six to three. I was outnumbered." Stark continued to glare at him. "Truly, Tony, I hated the decision; it's why I agreed to go to S.H.I.E.L.D., I hoped that my presence there and the insight I could thereby provide would make the difference in a future vote that could affect the safety of not only civilians, but the heroes that serve them."

"You sent a fucking nuke…"

"Stark, calm down. If you must blame someone, blame me," Loki spoke up for the first time. Thor's wayward brother sighed and gave Stark a patient look when the billionaire turned to glare at him. "Surely you didn't think I left anything to chance? I wanted that fleet destroyed. That would take one of your greater weapons. I could hardly ask you to send one without the Mad Titan becoming aware that I fought him." He shrugged. "It seemed an efficient way to get the weapon to where it could be used against him."

"And what if I hadn't lost every last lick of sense I ever had and decided to be a fucking hero? I'm not the type, Loki, it was an aberration."

Loki smiled, and it even reached his eyes. "Then Thor would have done it, and if he were otherwise occupied and did not realize either the danger or how the weapon could be used in your favor, than I would have dealt with the agony of outright disobedience and would have managed it myself."

"Would you have been able to come back?" Tony Stark asked, his voice and expression subdued.

"No. I would not have died, not then, but I would have once more been the enemy's plaything."

"Christ, Lokes…well, I'm glad I found my inner hero, then."

"As am I."

… …

It was a fucking nightmare. Hell, his nightmares were fluffy dreams compared to this shit. "So we're supposed to just trust _him_," Nick grated, turning his one-eyed glare on the grinning god of fucking Lies, "to save our asses the next time some super-powered bad guy comes to town?"

"No, Morpheus. You're supposed to trust _us_, the Avengers, same as you did last time," Stark snapped. "We didn't let you down then, thanks to _him_, and we won't let you down in the future."

He rubbed his temples and shot a look at Nassar whose oh-so-fucking helpful response was a shrug. "Fine. Now answer me this: Why are we in New Mexico in fucking portables. Why didn't you go to Central Park and call us to Avengers' Tower?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault," Hellbringer said apologetically. He glared. It was hard to think of her as Kara or Dr. Gunnarssen now, not with those alien eyes staring back at him. "I'm, well stronger empathically. My shields aren't working anymore, and there's no way I can handle the city just yet."

"Are you two out here permanently, then?" he asked.

"No, that's why Prince Nyvorlas is here; he's going to help me rebuild my shields so that I can tolerate being around large numbers of people again. We figure the failure is because I'm still trying to shield a human mind and mine just isn't anymore."

His gut churned with acid…if her empathic abilities were stronger, what did that do to her pyrokinetics? "And your fire?" he asked, doing his damnedest not to snarl the question.

"I don't know. That's another reason to come to a desert; if that's increased as well, I won't destroy anything testing it out."

God damn it. It was a mother-fucking granddaddy of a nightmare. "I don't need this shit."

… …

Nick Fury was a drama queen, that's all there was to it. "Come on, Fury, give us a break," Tony told him. "You've gone from one Norse god helping to save the world to three. Well, two and a half. You're definitely getting the better end of this deal." He produced his trademark 'aren't I cleverest bastard you've ever met' smile. "As a matter of fact, that should raise our contracted rates; we'll be packing a lot more firepower now, literally."

"In your dreams, Stark; it also makes the tasks less dangerous for the team as a whole."

"Yeah, but I have higher expenses as well. Have you seen how much these people eat?" That earned him glares from both Loki and Kara. "No offense," he told them with an innocent shrug. Kara rolled her eyes, but Loki continued to glare. "Well, sure, you don't eat anywhere near as much as Thor, but who does?" Ah, there we go…the expected eye roll from Loki as well.

"Again, Stark, that's your problem, not ours. We're contracting for results, not what you use to get those results."

Tony bit back a smirk. Mission accomplished; Fury successfully distracted from his self-pitying rant. "Fine, but you can't blame me for trying."

"Director?" Haakun began. "I will need to meet with your governmental representatives to discuss Loki's presence on Midgard and what is expected of both him and of your people. Might we speak about arranging such? I believe it might be more productive were we to allow the others to get on with their testing and such while we do so."

"Agreed. Rogers, get your people and their guests the hell out of my sight until further notice."

"Yes, sir," Cap agreed. Tony stood and tried to facetiously give a Nazi style salute and almost had his arm broken by Captain America in the process. "Not funny," Steve hissed as he steered him out of the conference room.

"Lighten up. It was social commentary on Fury's kneejerk reaction to Kara's change in…uh…shit. She's literally a different species." He allowed Steve to continue to push him along as he digested that fact.

… …

"Did you find something I could use as targets?" Kara asked as Clint came trudging back to them.

"Yeah. They had a shitload of packing material. We divided it up and tied it together into the sizes you wanted. The other Æsir and Cap are taking them out near those rocks you picked out. Did you know S.H.I.E.L.D. flew in a jeep?"

"Seriously? Wow, guess you rate, Nyvorlas. Fury pulled out all of the stops once he saw you."

The Ljósálfar prince grinned. "He recognized a superior being once he saw one." Loki snorted and the Álfar turned to favor him with a condescending look. "Jealous, Loki?"

"He's no doubt planning your accidental disappearance so that his people can dissect you at their leisure."

"Loki! Nick wouldn't do that. Send him through every scanner he can find, yes. Dissect him, no."

"I do not share your confidence in his organization's ethics, my lady."

"I don't have any confidence in the organization's ethics, but Nick is another story."

"I agree with Kara," Nat said from where she'd been sitting in a meditative pose next to Bruce. The scientist was also seated with his legs in a lotus position. He hadn't so much as blinked in longer than Kara wanted to imagine. "Fury wouldn't dissect him unless he were dead when they found him; and before you suggest it, he wouldn't order an accident to ensure he conveniently died."

"How…reassuring," Nyvorlas said faintly, his brow creased in what looked like concern. Kara couldn't feel the emotion causing the expression, the Álfar's shielding was solid. Hopefully he'd be able to help her to shield that well.

She turned as the sound of a jeep engine reached her ears. None of her human friends reacted, but both Loki and Nyvorlas turned to look out over the ridge that separated them from the large bowl-like area where she'd asked for the targets to be set up. Not having either prince's height, she trudged up the rise to take a look and saw the vehicle approaching. Sif and Hogun were both standing in the back, one hand each on the roll bar for balance. Sif was grinning uncharacteristically as the wind whipped her tail of hair back behind them and while Hogun's expression was, as usual, far more reserved, even he wore a slight smile. Steve was driving and sneaking a look back at his passengers every so often, shaking his head at their enthusiasm. "Oh, Sif went with them. Hey," she said, turning around. "Where did Tony get to?"

"He's setting up the devices he asked for. I heard him mutter something about internet and satellites when he headed for our Quinjet," Nat informed her. "I think he just wanted to get in the AC. He powered up the auxiliary generator as soon as he closed the ramp behind him. The swamp coolers aren't doing a very good job in the portables."

"Still a lot better than out here," Kara said as she looked over the targets that had been prepared for her. They were all sufficiently far apart that even an exponential increase to her fire shouldn't catch more than one at a time. They'd made them different sizes as she'd specified, ranging from the smallest being close to the size of a suitcase up to one as large as a step van. "How the hell did they get them all out there so quickly?"

"Roped them together and just dragged them behind the jeep," Clint said. "That gonna work for you?"

"It should. Thanks for making sure it got done right."

"Anytime, princess." Kara narrowed her eyes at him until he laughed. "Yeah, I know. Don't call you doc and don't call you princess."

"You can call me doc all you want…though I guess I'll never get to practice psychology again. Damn." She crossed arm arms over her chest and stared at the ground for a minute, trying to compose herself before Loki noticed.

"Kara, what's wrong?"

Too late. "Nothing, really. I guess I just realized I won't be able to do the same kind of work I've been doing. It was always a big part of my life…and I'm going to miss it." She tried not to sigh as Loki stepped up behind her and tugged her back against his chest. "Really, Loki, I'm fine."

"Mm hmm. Of course you are." He pressed a soft kiss into her temple and then another on her cheek. "You've given up so much for me. I'm a fortunate man." There was not even a hint of insincerity to be found.

"Well, I gained something I thought I'd never have, so I guess I'm lucky too." She smiled as he snorted softly, disbelief running through him. "Hey, you said it yourself, I was afraid to love or be loved and that was no real life." She turned in his grasp and raised up on her toes to kiss him. "This is going to be a life like I never imagined, but it will be one filled with loving and being loved."

"So it will."

… …

"I guess I should just get on with it," Kara said as Steve and the two Æsir climbed out of the jeep.

"Sooner you try it, the sooner you know," Natasha agreed, keeping her voice calm and even. She stood and joined her teammate where she stood staring out at the distant targets. "Just find your center and calmness. Start out by giving it as weak a push as you can manage, and see what happens. You can always work your way up in power."

Kara turned her head to frown at her. "Good advice…considering you don't have anything like this."

She shrugged. "When I spar with a trainee or with an Agent I haven't see fight I tone down my aggression until I know what they're capable of handling and dishing out. I thought, from what you've said before about your abilities, that a similar approach should apply."

The other redhead's grin rewarded her. "True. Okay, I'm going to go for the middle target." Kara turned back to look out over the ridge; seconds later the target in the center of the line began to smoke. A tongue of flame emerged, then suddenly the entire target was engulfed. They could hear the muffled roar of the fire as the packing material burned fiercely. "Oops. I wasn't expecting it to burn that quick, or that hot."

Natasha stared at the white-hot center of the relatively small conflagration. "Judging from your previous experience, what do you think the power increase is?"

"It's tripled, easily," her friend said with a tired sigh. "I think I need to know just how much juice I can put into it."

"Going to go for the biggest target, then?"

"Yep. Um, everyone go down the rise and get ready to take cover."

"It's a half-mile away, you don't think…"

"I don't want to think, I want to _know_ everyone's safe."

Natasha nodded. She wouldn't have argued fire safety with their Hellbringer when she was fully human and knew her limits. Now, it was even more important to listen. She nudged Bruce. "We're moving back. Kara is going to let loose." The scientist nodded and rolled to his feet, running a hand through his rumpled dark hair as he straightened and then followed her back to the parked jeep. "Come," she said to the rest of the group. "Yes, Loki, you too."

"My place is with my lady," he said with a snide look.

"You don't have your power to protect yourself with. If you come back here with the rest of us, Kara will be better able to concentrate since she won't be worrying about your safety."

He opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by the elf. "Loki, the woman is right. Allow your lady her time. She is agitated enough without you adding to her worry." Loki subsided with a glare at the slighter man…or whatever he was. He reluctantly followed Nyvorlas and stood behind the jeep.

"Don't touch it," Loki warned as the pale-haired prince reached out a hand towards the vehicle's hood. "It likely contains iron."

"You'll find that a lot here," Natasha thought she should add. "Particularly with vehicles."

Nyvorlas nodded. "If we go elsewhere that is less hot, I shall remember to wear my gauntlets."

Problem solved, she thought as she checked to make sure everyone was back where Kara wanted them. "All right, Kara, we're set down here," she called out.

"Thanks, Nat." Kara turned back to look out over the ridge.

Moments later an explosion rocked the ground and a huge fireball erupted from the direction of the targets. Kara was knocked off of her feet by the concussive force; Loki leapt over the jeep and was halfway up the rise before she hit the ground. "Got you," he gasped as he thudded back first into the dirt, his arms wrapped around his stunned wife. "Are you injured?"

Natasha reached them in time to give Kara a hand as she climbed off of her husband. "No, I'm fine. Did I hurt you?"

He laughed. "I'm still as durable as ever, love. I'll not have so much as a bruise from that, though I expect my garment might be the worse for the experience."

"What the fuck happened out here?" Natasha winced at Nick Fury's bellow. The director ran over to them, followed by Dr. Nassar, Councilor Haakun and the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel that Fury had allowed to remain at the site.

"I let loose at a target," Kara told him in a shaky voice as she turned to climb back up the rise. They all followed her, curious to see why the fire still glowed above it. "Oh, crap," the pyrokinetic whispered.

"_Bozhe moy_," Natasha muttered as she stared out into the basin. All of the targets were burning, and the sand surrounding them had almost liquefied. "_Krovavyĭ ad_."

… …

**Author's Note:** I could not find any reference as to whether or not the Ljósálfar have a problem with iron in the way that elves of British legends do, so consider it artistic license. Nyvorlas has to have some major weakness…all good characters do or they become boring.

_Bozhe moy _means "oh my god" and _Krovavyĭ ad_ means "bloody hell" in Russian.

Thank you for all of the generous reviews and speculation…we do have a few good chapters yet…this bugger keeps growing on me! If you have any problems with that, talk to Loki. He keeps telling me that there's more of a story to tell. Reviews are gold…and while I appreciate each and every one of my readers, those who leave reviews have an extra special place in my heart.


	43. Chapter 43

"Okay, no more blowing stuff up without me; why do I always miss out on all the fun?" Tony groused as he trotted up the rise to where the entire complement of the site stood staring outwards. As he reached their level he swallowed at the sight that greeted him. Every one of the two dozen targets was either in flames or reduced to a shifting pile of ash. The heat from the largest fire was still stirring up a slight wind, causing the ash from the other targets to spread out across the slightly melted floor of the basin. He shot a look at Kara. His honorary sister was far too pale and he could tell that the only reason she was still on her feet was because of Loki's supporting arms. "Damn. Now that's radically cool," he said, winking at the Asgardian prince when he turned his head to glare. Loki nodded, understanding that Tony was trying to break the tension.

"I only meant to set the one on the far right on fire," Kara mumbled. She sounded miserable, totally defeated.

"Is this everything, or did you hold back?" Tony was betting she had given it all she had. Otherwise Kara would likely have looked a lot more traumatized.

"No, this was the whole enchilada," she managed.

"Okay, that's good. So, you know how extensive you can make it, now you just need to refine it, pull it back, work with it until it's nice and fine tuned and will do what you want when you want it. It'll take time, but that's how it goes with scientific processes. You're reinventing yourself with new parameters. No big deal." Kara stared at him, one fat tear sliding down her cheek, the multiple shades of red in her hair thoroughly mussed. Judging from the dust covering her jeans and gauze blouse the concussion from the blast had sent her flying. Hmm. "Um, kid, you're heavier than you were, right?"

Her frown deepened as she shrugged. Loki answered. "Yes, about half again her original weight."

"Okay." He flipped open the newest version of his tablet, the SI-Flip. "Jarvis, calculate the force of that blast based on one point five times Kara's weight of record being thrown off balance…"

"I was blown back about two yards, not thrown off balance, Tony."

"Make that blown back two yards from a distance of about…uh, three thousand feet," he estimated.

"Yes, Anthony," Jarvis responded. Tony sighed.

"Hold up on that response," Fury interjected. "S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, back to your stations, there's nothing more to see here." They waited as the black-clad agents obediently, if reluctantly, headed back to the portable buildings and the two S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjets that were still on the ground. "Go ahead," he told them once the area was cleared of all but the personnel cleared by the Avengers.

"Lay it on me, J." Tony ordered.

"Best estimate from the limited sample is an explosive yield of point zero one kiloton. This would produce fifteen pounds per square inch of concussive force within a radius of point zero three miles, down to one quarter pound per square inch at the stated distance. Were Princess Kara still human, she would have suffered broken bones from the concussive force at this distance."

"And at the epicenter, J?"

"A building the size of Avengers' Tower would have been reduced to fine rubble."

"Okey-dokey. Kara, make a note, don't go all out unless you're trying to drop a skyscraper."

… …

"Don't fret," Loki told her. "That is what you can do at your utmost. The first try was no greater an effect than you achieved before…perhaps even less. Stark is right, you need only fine tune your release of the power."

"So much destruction," she murmured softly. "Loki, I'm scared; what if I lose control?"

"You will not. Kara, we'll test that so that you will have confidence in yourself again. I believe in you."

Kara let her head drop back on his shoulder and she leaned more fully against his chest, still wrapped in his sheltering arms. His emerald eyes were focused on hers and his features were set in a calm, supportive expression. "I've always had a problem with believing in myself."

"Yet you do what needs to be done anyway, and you succeed. I am living proof of that, as is Thor. _That_ is your strength, you know, not your fire. It is your determination to do what is not only necessary, but what is fair and right that defines you."

"He's right, Kara," Raj Nassar's soothing voice agreed. "I may be startled by the strength you're now showing, but I don't fear you." She glared at him until he gave her a somewhat sheepish smile. "And that is in light of the fact that you are angry with me."

"Loki, why didn't you know Raj was on the Council?" she asked, remembering that he'd indicated that he had influenced the vote to nuke the city.

"I don't believe that Dr. Nassar is an ordinary member of that Council, Kara. The identity of their chairman was not in their computer records, just the fact of his or her existence. I suspect each of the councilors knew that identity, but that it was erased from every accessible record to allow him freedom to be a liaison to various other organizations without revealing the Council's existence."

"Your suspicion is correct. The chairperson is not even present for most business. I traditionally spend my time gathering information and taking a first-hand look at situations in which it appears we will need to involve ourselves. My predecessors did the same."

"Predecessors…plural. I take it the Council has been around for a while, then?" she half asked.

"Yes, since the outbreak of World War One. I am the eleventh chairperson. We tend to not hold the position for more than ten years for one reason or another." He shrugged at her raised eyebrow. "Burnout, mostly. Though a few of us have gotten too close to the action and have been killed. Careless, it would seem, but it is sometimes necessary."

"Aren't you a bit young for the position, doctor?" Loki asked.

Raj smiled. "I am the youngest chairperson we've had. My immediate predecessor was killed about two years ago in a terrorist attack during a fact-finding visit to Libya, about six years before she intended to step down. And yes, I do have a protégé and no that person is not a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. or of the existing Council," he volunteered before she could ask. "And this," he continued, gesturing at the basin where flames still burned sluggishly in the ash, "will not be reported to _anyone_. There is no reason for our Council to know the full capabilities of a Princess of Asgard."

"Congratulations, you will be permitted to live," Loki muttered dryly.

"Loki, don't tease…and don't tell me you weren't teasing, I can feel it."

His mouth twisted slightly as he favored her with an annoyed glare. "You are no fun."

"There's a time and place for giving people a hard time, when I'm this upset isn't one of them. And Raj really did mean it, you know. And Nick sent everyone else away before Jarvis gave us the bad news."

"Yes, Kara, I noticed that. If you were not so upset, I'd be annoyed that you felt it necessary to point that out."

"Oh. Sorry." She sighed and turned to bury her face against his chest. "I'm scared of me, Loki. More than I've ever been," she whispered.

"Excuse us," Loki said to the others and then led her away. He waited until they were far enough from the group that she couldn't hear so much as a murmur though she could see their lips moving as they spoke among themselves. "Kara, love, there is no reason to be afraid. You know that your attention can be totally shattered, yet you do not strike out reflexively. It would take, I think, your life being seriously in danger for that to happen. And honestly, my lady, if that is the case I want you to annihilate any threat to your safety, regardless of collateral damage."

"I don't want to do _that_," she told him, pointing at the rise, "ever again."

Loki shrugged. "Then do not. The power is yours, use it or do not use it; it is much like my magic. When I had it, I did not _have_ to use it, I consciously chose to." He frowned. "Well, at some point it was a conscious decision. I had forgotten that I'd enhanced my vision and hearing." She sighed and he took her chin between two long fingers and tilted her face up so that he could stare directly into her eyes. "Have you ever unconsciously blocked someone's emotions, or projected emotions?"

That she had to think about. "Um, no."

"I would think that would be a far more natural thing to do than to bring your fire. What does that tell you?"

"I-you're right. It doesn't take half the energy or concentration. I really have to think about heating the molecules to start a fire if I'm not half-dead. With the projections, I just have to feel it and want someone else to feel it. But I don't; not unintentionally."

"Then what is there to fear?"

"Huh. Not much, I guess. I just have to experiment, like Tony said."

"Exactly, my love." He dipped his head to capture her lips in a gentle but thorough kiss. She shivered as his love and pride washed through her senses.

"I'm sorry I'm being such a wimp about this," she whispered as he moved from her lips to her jaw.

A warm chuckle filled her ears as he nipped the tendon that ran down the left side of her neck. "You are my impossibly brave and stubborn lady. You have nothing to apologize for, Kara."

… …

"We'll also need a blast screen to protect us from shrapnel," Tony added as he saw Loki and Kara return.

"What size?" the Dread Pirate Fury asked. Oddly enough, it was a simple question, not a gripe or bit of sarcasm to be heard.

"Um," he began as he did some mental calculations. "About twenty feet wide by eight feet high should do it. If that's not doable, a couple of smaller width screens could be overlapped to handle it."

Fury was flipping through a list on his touch-screen. "I can get you two twelve by eight foot screens. They'll be here before we can retrieve enough scrap items from salvage yards. How long do you think it will take her to refine her control?"

"Maybe a week, based on what she was able to do before. She's motivated, so she'll work hard on it."

"I'll need to be working with her for several hours each day as well," Nyvorlas told them. The Ljósálfar had been standing there quietly until now; his eyes darting back and forth between all of them, taking in everything, but contributing nothing to any of the sometimes heated conversations around him. "The better control she has of her emotions, the easier it will be to control her fire," he added.

"Very good point." He stared at the elf. "Damn, too bad I've got Hawk used to being called Legolas. It would be a much better name for you." One of the pale slanted eyebrows rose even as the corners of his mouth turned down in a frown. "Relax, I don't make up names for people I don't like…finding one or more for you is a compliment, really."

"Only partially true, but I shall let it slide," the prince said with a smirk worthy of his Asgardian counterpart.

"Mostly true," he countered. "Bruce, have I ever given Hill a nickname?"

"You refer to her as 'Fury's shadow in command' every so often. But I don't think that qualifies."

"Exactly. That's more a comment on Nick then on Agent Hill."

"But I understand you have used ridiculous nicknames for Loki from the first time you encountered him," Nyvorlas objected.

"Well, yeah. But underneath all of the crazy 'dominate the world' crap, there was something about him I just kind of got. Weird, I know. It was probably the daddy issues. Christ knows we both have plenty of them." Nyvorlas snorted softly and turned away to acknowledge Loki's arrival. "So, how's Sparky doing, Lokes?"

"You are a glutton for punishment, Tony," Loki said.

"Maybe. Kara…I don't suppose you could tell Jarvis to…"

"Absolutely not," Loki interrupted him. "Kara, I forbid you to ever again reset the programming on how Jarvis addresses Stark." The group froze. Every last person in the entire fucking group turned and stared at Loki and Kara. This was going to be good…or very, very bad depending on how you looked at it, Tony thought.

"You what?" she said, pretty mildly considering the provocation.

"You heard me. Stark has gotten away with his childish…where are you going?" Loki asked as she spun and strode away from him in the direction of the open desert. Loki huffed and started after her, swinging around as Nyvorlas grabbed him by one arm and Hogun by the other. "Let go," he hissed.

"Not unless you wish her to take out her anger with you, _on_ you," the Ljósálfar said quietly.

"This is not your business," Loki told the other prince.

"It's mine," Tony decided to interject. "Dude, what have I told you about pissing off a redhead?"

"Just because she is soft enough to indulge you in your childish behavior…"

"Loki," Natasha snapped. "Kara is not a child."

"No, but Stark is."

"You might forbid a child to do something that endangers them. If you attempt to forbid a woman something, you run the risk of being gelded," she snapped.

"Or at the very least, being couch man," Tony added. "I don't think Kara would geld him, Nat. She's not much good with blood."

"All it would take would be one pinpoint burst of fire. Instant gelding and cauterizing, no bleeding involved." They all stared at the redheaded assassin. All of the men, meaning everyone but Sif and Nat, found their hands moving protectively over their groins. "Really?" Nat said incredulously as she looked around at them. "And these are the supposedly hardened warrior types," she muttered, sounding disgusted.

"No, I'm just a scientist," Bruce offered. "The other guy is the tough one."

Hogun was staring down at his package, the most intense expression on his face that Tony had seen to date. "Been injured there before," he muttered defensively.

"Kara would do no such thing," Loki said, though one hand still rested just below his belt.

"Don't bet on it, bud. She's pissed as all hell. Why do you think she took off? She doesn't want to blow up at you…or blow you up," Tony advised the clueless idiot.

Loki was still seething, but his expression was beginning to shift into a thoughtful one. "Bloody hell," he muttered. "Let go," he told Hogun and Nyvorlas. "I need to go apologize before she begins to doubt herself."

"Smart move," Natasha said as he hurried after Kara.

… …

"Freaking dumb-ass Norse god. Damn stupid man. Who the _hell _does he think he is? Drinking from some freaking marriage cup does NOT make him the boss of me. Damn it all to hell," Kara muttered as she stomped across the dusty rock strewn ground. "I'll stop resetting Jarvis if _I _feel it's necessary, not because he f_orbids_ it. Shit." She was still ranting to the open air when she heard booted feet approaching from behind her, and felt a wave of annoyance accompanying them. "He thinks he's annoyed. Hah," she continued to fume. Deciding she might as well stop since he could outrun her even on a bad day, she planted both feet solidly on the ground and glared at an inoffensive bit of scrub. The hardy plant burst into flame. "Shit."

"Did you mean to do that?" Loki asked as he stepped to her side.

"Not really. You should probably go back before I blow you up and kill both of us."

"I'm not going back without you, Kara. I know you're angry with me, and that I've made you feel out of control. I apologize for that."

She spun and glared up at him with such ferocity that he took a step back, his bright green eyes widening. "You're sorry because I feel out of control? Not for anything else?"

His chin lifted. "I have nothing else to apologize for." She could feel the uncertainly lying just beneath the confident tone. Folding her arms across her chest, she raised an eyebrow. "I know you are not a child, but you are contributing to Stark's childishness. If I must live amongst this group for the rest of their natural lives and then some, he will need to grow up."

"Oh for pity's sake, Loki. Do you even hear yourself talk? Tony is just being Tony. It's his personality. I get that you don't like it, but have you thought that there're a lot of things about your personality that other people don't like? You annoy me all the time, but does that stop me from loving you?"

He stiffened and doubt flooded him. "Does it?"

"No." God, she hated it when he felt like that. He'd told Steve once that Thor acted like a beaten cur, always coming back for more…but the analogy also applied to him. He acted like a beaten cur that expected to be kicked yet again. "You see? This is annoying. Every time you begin to realize I don't think you're perfect, you start to doubt that I could love you. Honestly, I've never thought you were perfect. Gorgeous, smart, funny, and a host of other positive things, but not perfect. If you were, well, I wouldn't be good enough for you, and I sure as hell wouldn't have managed to fall in love with you."

"But you're angry with me."

"Yes, I'm angry with you, I'm absolutely furious with you. But I still love you. I will always love you."

"Why are you angry with me?"

"You tried to forbid me to make my own decision. You don't get to do that."

"Then how do I prevent you from indulging Stark again? He needs to have consequences."

"What are you, his dad? Please, he has enough daddy issues; he doesn't need you trying to fill the role." She sighed. "You could have just asked me nicely to leave it alone."

"Would you have done so?"

Kara frowned, thinking about it. "I don't know. But I would have at least taken your point of view into consideration. Now I'm going to reset it just because I'm pissed with you."

"Please, love. Don't…"

She cut him off mid-sentence. "Too late. I'm going to reset…"

His fingers touched her lips lightly and she stopped, giving him a chance to speak. "I was going to ask you to not be so angry with me. I can't help the way I am anymore than you think Stark can help being the way he is."

"Oh. Okay." She held her arms up to him and smiled as he crushed her against his chest. "I'm still mad," she told him. "But I still love you."

"And I you, my sweet lady." He lifted his head from her hair and looked back at the distant group. "We'd best go back. I suggest you tell them the fire was a-purpose…letting off some steam, as it were."

"It was, mostly. But yeah; otherwise Nick is liable to piss himself."

… …

They'd all shared a somewhat tense meal and decided that there wasn't enough left of the day to do anything more. Salvaged wrecks of vehicles and other flammable items that had been disposed of were being delivered first thing in the morning. Nyvorlas had talked shielding techniques with Kara for over an hour and then had left her to meditate for another. Raj Nassar had left with the bulk of the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel by the time Kara had returned to him and suggested they get some sleep. Loki watched warily as his still annoyed lady stripped off her clothes and collapsed onto the large airbed they were to share. "It's still hot in here," she complained. "The water feeding the swamp coolers isn't cold enough."

That, he could fix. "Where is the water stored?" he asked.

"Beats me. Nick would know."

"Hmm. All right, I'll be back shortly." He smiled at her quizzical expression and escaped before she could ask him what he was doing. Fury was still awake and giving orders; it seemed the man did such nonstop.

The director looked up when he noticed Loki watching him. "Problem?" he asked tersely.

"Yes. My lady is too warm. I'm not terribly comfortable myself. I'm told the water feeding the cooling system might do a more efficient job if it were colder."

"It would. But we don't have the means to do that."

"I do." He tried not to smile at the mortal's annoyed frown. "Remember the desktop?"

"Yes. But don't you need your magic for that?"

"No. That is one of my natural forms. It takes only my will to assume it, no magical ability or power whatsoever."

Fury actually grinned. Granted, it was all but unnoticeable, but it was a grin nonetheless. He'd take it. "Right this way, Loki. I'm not too fond of this heat myself." He followed the dark-skinned man outdoors and over to one of the large water tanks. Two more had been added since he'd escorted Kara to her shower earlier. "This one feeds the swamp coolers. You can't let it freeze solid or the water won't flow, it depends on gravity at this end. Can you cool it substantially without turning it to anything more than watery slush?"

"I can." He concentrated and allowed his Jötunn nature to emerge. Fury's eyes widened, but the man said nothing. "I'll need access directly to the water to avoid damaging the tank."

The director led the way to a rolling stairway and then pushed it over to the tank. He climbed it and then opened a hatch high on the tank and leaned in. "You should be able to reach the water from here." He came back down and gestured to the stairs.

Loki frowned and mounted the metal stairway, being careful not to touch any part of it with his bare skin. As Fury had thought, he was easily able to reach the top of the water. He dipped a hand inside and let the cold flow through the water. When he left the liquid begin to solidify around his arm, he pulled it out, shifted back to his Æsir form and closed the hatch. "That should hold it for several hours, at least."

Fury stared at him a moment. "Thanks. I know you did it for Kara, but it benefits all of us, so it's appreciated."

"You're welcome." He headed back into the building and their assigned room. By the time he'd reached it, the air coming through the vents was noticeably cooler. Kara was still nude, and was still sprawled out on the bed. "Problem solved," he told her.

"I noticed. I also noticed that you are feeling insufferably pleased with yourself."

"Ah, so you did know it was me coming in the door."

"Of course. I would have at least covered up otherwise."

"Good. This," he said, gesturing at the silken skin so invitingly displayed. "Is mine to see, no one else's."

"I'm still angry with you," she said, turning on her side away from him.

"And I still do not understand why."

"What, you don't remember using the word 'forbid'?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"No buts. You don't get to forbid me from making my own decisions. You can ask me to consider your point of view, but if I decide you're wrong, I will do what I want to do. That said," she continued, holding up a hand before he could interrupt. "I love you and I respect you, so more often than not I'll do as you ask. But you've got to _ask_, not tell."

He sighed. "That is not how it works on Asgard."

"Oh, please. In their personal lives there is no way Frigga would let Odin order her to do anything…well, let him get away with it. That woman has a spine stronger than that metal Mjölnir's made of and you know it."

"It's called Uru…and perhaps."

"No perhaps about it."

He had to smile at her stubborn frown. The worst of it was she was likely right. His mother was the strongest personality he'd ever known, however quiet she was about being so. "I've been the way I am for over a thousand years. I cannot change simply because you say I must."

"Old dogs can learn new tricks; it's been proven countless times. But seriously, all I ask is that you try to change and that you don't get angry with me when the way we want to handle things differs."

"No forbidding, then?"

"Nope."

"Hmm, are you certain that you will not make even one exception to that rule?"

"Such as?"

Loki smiled at her dubious expression. "I forbid you to ever doubt my love for you."

"Loki…"

"And I beg you to never stop loving me."

… …

He did it again. She blinked back the automatic tears and reached for him, sighing as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I'll never stop loving you," she promised. "No matter what."

"You're crying again."

"Yeah, well, you did it again…you were amazingly sweet without meaning to be."

"I'll have you know that was earnest and serious."

"I know. That's what I said…you didn't mean it to be sweet." Kara did her best to stifle a giggle at his look of utter consternation.

"I will never understand the women of Midgard," he muttered.

"The men born on Midgard will never understand them, so you're not alone." She smiled as he trailed his long fingers down the side of her face. "We don't expect to be understood; just loved and respected."

"Hmm, and forbidding you something is not respectful…I see." His breath huffed softly against her cheek as he leaned in close. "I suppose you believe that you've been more than patient with me," he murmured before nibbling lightly on her jaw.

"I'll admit to impatience. It's hard to remember that you don't really have a point of reference for dealing with modern women. After all, a month ago I thought Asgard and the other realms were just myth, yet here I am, married to a Norse god."

"Loved and adored by a Norse god," he added. "Will you forgive that Norse god for unintentionally disrespecting you?" His voice was husky and the nibbling continued down her neck, making her shiver.

"Is he going to remember to ask instead of order in the future?"

A chuckle vibrated the skin of her 'sweet spot'. "Unless you are in immediate danger, love; then I will order you and you will obey."

"Humph. It'll be like the boy who cried wolf if you don't keep to that. I'll never know if I'm in danger or if you're just being bossy."

"Hmm." A sharp nip on her collarbone was followed by a warm palm cupping her breast. "Then I shall promise not to order you to do or not do anything unless disobedience will immediately endanger your life or the life of someone you care about." His head lifted and serious emerald eyes met hers. "You know I keep my word."

"Thank you." She giggled, just a little, but she couldn't help it. One ebony eyebrow rose and the corner of Loki's mouth twitched. "You keep making promises to me."

"So I do. I have a mysterious need to please you, I suppose." His expression was mischievous, but the emotion behind it was both wondering and somehow lost.

"Loki, it's nothing mysterious. That's what love is all about. It means you trust me; not just that you want to please me. We depend on each other, we-we live for each other. I know I've been complaining about, well, everything. It's got to be as big an adjustment for you as it is for me, and I'm just now realizing that. I love you and I need you. It's not about what I've missed out on or what I've given up; it's about what I've gained. I've gained you in my life, and you're worth it."

… …

He felt his jaw drop and his eyes tear up, but could do nothing to stop it. "Is this what it feels like to you when I say something unintentionally sweet?" he asked. "If so, then I understand. I-you undo me, love. I think you have from the start." Kara's smile widened and her arms tightened. Delicate fingers brushed the wetness from his cheek. "We don't share the Midgardian male's aversion to tears," he felt he had to explain.

"I know." Loki smiled as Kara rubbed her cheek against the cotton of his shirt. "You're wearing too many clothes," she told him.

"So, I'm forgiven then?"

Her sweet lips curved up in a playful smile. "Hmm, I suppose that depends on the quality of the make up sex."

"The what?"

"Sex you have immediately after a fight to promote closeness," she defined. "If it's good enough, then you're forgiven."

"Having sex; I still cannot abide that term."

This time her smile was wide. "Fine; make up lovemaking, then."

"Not that I lack confidence in the quality of any lovemaking we indulge in, but why should that be a requirement for forgiveness; what if one of us simply has an off day?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, Loki, I'm teasing!" She sounded exasperated and was rolling her eyes, totally oblivious to his mischief for once. He'd finally figured out the trick of misdirecting her heightened empathic ability. She frowned suddenly and stared at him. "Wait, how did you do that?"

He shrugged. "I am the god of Lies, Kara. Though I must admit, I now have to work at it with you."

"Loki." He grinned at her suddenly serious expression. "Why aren't you making love with me, already? And why are you still wearing all of your damn clothes?"

"You have become a demanding wench." Her glare almost made him laugh aloud and he hurriedly began unbuttoning his shirt to appease her. "But, I must say, I'm enjoying it."

"You'd be enjoying a lot more if you'd just get the damned clothes off," she muttered crossly. "Do you think getting you naked faster would count as a good reason for unbinding your magic?"

That did make him laugh. "Ah…no," he managed as he stood to remove the pants Tony had told him were 'Khaki Dockers'. "Definitely not…can you even imagine asking the All-Father if that would qualify?"

"I'll pass." Her amazing eyes watched avidly as he eased the briefs over his now raging erection. "Oooh, is that for me?" He inhaled sharply as she grasped his cock with one hand and leaned forward to tease the head with a quick lick. "Okay, you're undressed, but you still aren't in the bed; why is that?"

Loki laughed again and pulled her up and into his arms. She laughed as he tossed her back on the large bed and followed to hover over her. "Undressed, on the bed and in dire need of being inside my lovely wife's wet heat," he told her. "But first things first." A golden sigil rested low on his lady's abdomen; Eir's solution to their contraception dilemma. It required no additional magic to use, though he could feel the tingle of its activation as he traced the lines with a lean finger. It glowed briefly and then subsided as he lifted her thighs and pressed them back. He admired the glistening curls at the apex and leaned forward to tease her as she had teased him. A long, slow swipe of his tongue had her squirming beneath him. "Make that 'very wet'," he amended.

"Loki…don't…I need…" the pitch of her voice escalated as he first enjoyed tasting the pink flesh and then nipped and closed his lips around her clit. A full-on shriek emerged as he sucked strongly; the two fingers he'd slipped into her canal were soaked as her back lifted off of the bed and an orgasm rippled through her. "God, Loki," she panted. "Needed that…so bad."

"I know what else my love needs," he said as he moved to sheathe himself inside of her. He moaned at the pressure, their few days of abstinence accompanied by the healing energies used on her back and spine by Lady Eir had tightened her canal back to the state he'd enjoyed the first time they'd lain together. "Gods, love, so tight…I'm not going to last long, I'm afraid," he apologized as he began thrusting urgently. Kara's legs closed around his hips, helping to pull him in deeper yet as she whimpered her pleasure. One hand guided his to her breasts and he grinned as he realized what she wanted. Taking one of the soft globes in each hand, he squeezed and roughly fondled them with each thrust. Her whimpers had escalated into soft shrieks, and he groaned as a second orgasm ran through her damn near forcing his aching cock out of her canal. Holding himself at the fullest point of the thrust, he rode it out, shuddering with pleasure. The waves of pressure eased, finally, and he resumed pounding, hot and hard, as she shrieked and sobbed beneath him.

"Loki…please," she moaned. "I can't take much more." Her breath was hitching in her throat and her head was thrown back. Beautiful.

He abandoned one breast in favor of wrapping his fingers around the smooth column of her throat, feeling her pulse throbbing rapidly as her entire body began to spasm. This time he felt an answering tightening in his groin, and he could not hold back a shout of pleasure as he came. "Kara! Love you…" he gasped out as he finished with several long hard strokes.

Her quim tightened around him and she screamed wordlessly as a third orgasm rocked through her sweet quivering body. He slipped one hand under her for support as her back arched again, and braced himself with a knee and his forearm until she quieted and settled back down on the bed. "Always," she murmured softly. "Always love you…"

… …

**Author's Notes:** The explosive yield data is based on the charts for nuclear weapons, allowing just for the explosive force itself. There is actually a calculator for it online. Amazing, huh? Anyone with any ideas for snarky nicknames for Nyvorlas? PM me if you have any ideas. Tony is just itching to use one. After all, Loki seems to like the guy and he's helping Kara, so Tony's not going to diss him! New nicknames for everyone else would be a welcome gift as well. Tony's losing his edge and he's not about to let getting called 'Anthony' cramp his style.

As always, thank you for the reviews and follows. You all really rock my world.


	44. Chapter 44

"So, doc is a screamer," Clint Barton commented matter-of-factly.

Loki turned and stared at the archer. "What?"

"I mean, it figures, redheads, passion, you know." The man shrugged. "Look, the walls are a hell of a lot thinner here than you're used to. I, uh, think pretty much everyone within three rooms of you heard."

"No one is to breathe one word of it to her," he warned, fighting his rising temper.

Barton snorted. "We won't. Nobody else will say anything to you, either, I got the short straw." Loki frowned. "We drew straws to see who had to let you know. I lost."

"So they _do_ still fear me. Good."

The damned mortal had the gall to chuckle. "Maybe you can't do the magic shit, but you're still a hell of a lot stronger and faster than most of us. Bruce is the only one who could stop you if you decided to freak out."

"I'm not likely to. Humph, at this rate we'll never get to enjoy being newly wed."

"Yeah, it's too bad for you that you don't have your power; you could have soundproofed the room with it."

"I also could do many other things with it, most of which your team would not approve." Loki huffed bitterly. "You wondered what kind of punishment this is; it is excruciating. Were it not for her, I'd prefer death to this…powerlessness."

"Nah, I get it. Kara explained it really well. Wait, isn't she supposed to be practicing releasing and binding your magic; didn't I hear your old man say that before we left?"

"You did."

"Well, maybe she should do what he said; and in between, you could soundproof the room just to test and make sure the release worked."

"My deviousness must have rubbed off on you while your mind was controlled."

"Don't flatter yourself. I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. as an assassin. Being devious is a job requirement."

… …

Kara finished tying her hair up in a ponytail and used a damp washcloth to wipe the sweat from the back of her neck. Loki was lying on the bed in his briefs; he looked equally miserable. "The water in the tank must have heated up again. I don't suppose you'd be willing to shift to Jötunn form and cool it back off?" she asked hopefully.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you practice releasing my power and I'll ward the tank to keep it cool perpetually…just in the interest of testing the release, of course," he said as he stood.

"Of course; aren't you the devious one."

"Hmm. I have to give credit to Barton. He reminded me that the All-Father ordered you to practice, and then pointed out I'd need to test it."

She stared up at him and then grinned at his sour expression. "Now was that really all that difficult?"

"Was what difficult?"

"Giving credit to someone else."

Loki smirked. "You cannot imagine how deeply it pained me."

"I'm sure." She sat down and concentrated, reaching in for the key as Odin had explained. Finding it, she 'turned' it in her mind and felt a rush of power run through her. Loki gasped. "It worked, I take it?"

He looked down and shrugged. "One way to find out." Kara felt another wash of power as Loki vanished.

… …

"That mother fucker," Nick ground out as Loki suddenly materialized on the rolling stairs next to the cooler's water tank, dressed in full Asgardian armor. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled. The supposedly magic-deprived prince stared down at him with a disdainful expression.

"I _think_ I'm warding this tank so that the water remains cold enough to cool the buildings properly. I trust that meets with your approval?"

"How the fuck did you get up there?" he snarled at the god, who ignored him and ran one finger in a detailed pattern on the surface of the tank. "What happened to your magic being bound?"

"They're no doubt practicing the release and rebinding of his power as Odin ordered," a calm voice said from behind him. Nick turned to glare at Councilor Haakun. "Prince Loki must test that the power is properly returned to him before Princess Kara reestablishes the binding. Then he will need to attempt to use it again to ensure that the binding also worked."

He shook his head. "Next time warn me," he growled up at the literally royal pain in his ass. "My people need to know not to reclassify you as a hostile."

"I do not see anyone reacting poorly save you, director," Loki commented absently as he continued to trace an invisible design.

Looking around, Nick realized the bastard was right. Nearly a dozen of his people stood around simply watching. Not one of them had so much as reached for a weapon. "Son of a bitch."

… …

"Well, did you tell him? Natasha asked her lover when they reached their room after an evening of star watching with the team…plus Loki and the other-realm guests. It had taken most of the day to bring in Kara's targets, the blast screens and finish setting up the remaining supplies flown in by S.H.I.E.L.D..

"Yeah, this morning."

She looked him up and down as he slipped out of his pants. "Wow, and you still have all of your parts. Amazing."

"Aw, come on, Nat. He wouldn't hurt someone who was just trying to help."

"You're suddenly a Loki fan? A magic quiver and he's your buddy, I never thought you were for sale."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. When we came back from our mission and found Loki roaming free in the tower you were all over me to get over it, and now you're pissed that I have?"

He was right, she was being unreasonable. "I simply don't understand what happened in less than a week to change your opinion. You're the most stubborn man I know. How did he do it?"

The look in Clint's eyes was…wondering. Oh, this had to be good. "He trusted me, Nat. He trusted me to protect the woman he loved; not because of a threat, he went out of his way to tell me he wouldn't hold me responsible if she got hurt as long as I'd tried my best. He trusted me to protect her just because she deserved protecting."

"You would anyway."

"Yeah, I would. But he knew I hated him for what he did to me, even if he was more or less forced to do it. Most people would have assumed I'd let someone get hurt just because they were important to someone I hated. But not him. It got to me."

"Interesting. Good psychological warfare tactic. He was in your head before, he probably knew better."

"You know damned well I wouldn't fall for that. Besides, it wasn't just that. During the trial, he refused to defend himself. And he was pissed when we defended him. I really don't think he was faking it; he'd given up. He was just going to man up, take his punishment no matter how bad it was. All he wanted was for them to heal Kara. That's it, nothing else. He totally lost his shit when Odin wanted to give her a reward for her help in the battle and instead of asking to be healed she asked for clemency for Loki."

"Okay." Natasha finished removing her own clothing and stepped up behind him, running her hands down the almost perpetually coiled muscles of his back. "I get it, he proved himself to you. That's good, since we're all going to have to work with him for the remainder of our careers." Clint's neck was revealingly tense, and she was certain it wasn't because of the trickster. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"With no decent place to perch, you mean?" Clint shrugged. "I've been using the rolling stairs out at the tanks or the top of the Quinjet when it gets too bad. I'm managing." They both looked up at the knock on the door. "I'll get it." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

Her eyebrows rose as she heard Loki's voice in the corridor. He said a few words too low for her to catch, then the door closed. "What's happening?"

"Kara just unlocked his mojo again for practice, so he's stopping at all of the rooms and asking if anyone wants theirs soundproofed. I said yes."

She grinned. "He just might be worth having around after all."

"You going to scream for me?"

"Never, but I'll make you scream."

Her Hawk grinned and then ran an appreciative hand over her bared breasts and across the curve of her hip. "Promises, promises."

… …

"Yeah, I love you too…oh, I'll call you back in a minute, babe, someone's at the door." Tony set the phone down and opened the door to the cubicle masquerading as a bedroom. "Hey, Frosty, what's up?"

Loki glared at him. Gee, that was new…not. "Really, Anthony? I come here to offer you a favor, having already done you several today and you still choose to insult me? I do have limits to my patience."

Wow…the man was tense, seriously so. "Hey, Loki. I'm sorry, man. Come in, take a load off. You want a drink?"

"Is that your solution to everything?" the god snapped, but he came in and sat down on the chair that was placed by a small table.

"Well, it works for me. Bruce grabbed a bottle of my best scotch when he was packing my stuff. Gotta love that guy." He poured a generous splash of the amber liquid into one of the traveling glasses Banner had also packed and handed it to his aggravated almost brother-in-law. "What's wrong, besides me being an ass?"

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle being without my magic long-term. It's only been a few days and I've had it back two hours all told today, but its…"

"Getting to you? Yeah. Know what you mean. I was stuck in a business conference for a week. They'd decided that all tech was banned from the conference - this was pre-Afghanistan, so I didn't have this puppy," he said, tapping the arc reactor. "Oh, and there was absolutely zero alcohol. I overdosed on caffeine, and still almost lost my shit before it was over. If the purpose of the conference hadn't been for support of one of my pet projects, I'd have blown the joint." He smirked at Loki's confusion over the last term. "I'd have told them all to fuck themselves and left."

"I can't do that."

"I know. Me, I'd drink, but I don't recommend that as a solution. It's brought me more trouble than it's probably been worth."

"Besides which, the amount necessary to have any real affect on me would tax even your resources."

"Yeah, probably not a good plan. My other coping mechanism is sex, but you're already using that one."

"Not as much as you'd think. Between her rather difficult conversion and her back injury we've had very little opportunity." The emerald eyes narrowed in a glare and Tony got the feeling Loki was daring him to say something about Kara's screaming the previous night. Oh, what the hell.

"Wow, no wonder she was having such a good time." He dodged behind the table as Loki predictably lunged for him. "Aw, come on. You practically asked for that comment; and it's not like I said anything to her."

Loki subsided and took a healthy swig of the scotch. "And you won't if you want to return to your lady in one piece."

Tony spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Wouldn't dream of it. She'd be totally embarrassed. I'd do that to _you_, but never to her. It's weird, I know, but I love that girl, totally platonically, I mean. She's something special. You're a lucky man, Lokes."

"I know it."

"Feeling better?"

Loki frowned, tilting his head to the side. "Yes, actually."

"Good deal. So, did you just need to talk or did you want something?"

"I'm soundproofing rooms of those who wish it before Kara rebinds my power. Even snoring can be heard from room to room here."

Tony laughed at the god's mischievous smirk. "Yeah, it can. Sure, absolutely. Pepper is going to fly in tomorrow evening. Don't tell Cap, but she's bringing Beth, too. Did you soundproof his room?"

"I did, I suspect he agreed in hopes of not hearing others, rather than anyone hearing something from him."

"Yeah, I don't know if they've gone there yet. Pep suggested I arrange for Beth and Darcy to have a room to share."

"Darcy?"

"Jane Foster's assistant. Apparently she's been, uh, hitting it off with our favorite rage monster, so Pepper is bringing her along."

"Hmm. Brave woman."

"She tasered Thor when she met him here. After Jane ran him over in their truck."

"Ahhh?"

"Used a taser on him. It zaps the target with enough electricity to knock them out for a good while."

"I like this woman already."

"Thought you might. Hey, you should give Jane a chance too, she did run Thor over… twice."

"I have nothing against Dr. Foster, she simply did not strike me as interesting. I'm not certain what Thor sees in her, she's far from his usual type."

"Well, she's smart, pretty, dedicated…"

"As I said." Loki shrugged. "Thor has always been more interested in more superficial qualities, and this woman has none."

Tony thought about that for a second. "You know, you're not the only Odinson that's learned a lot in the past year. Fandral tells me that Thor's changed too."

"He has." Loki shrugged again and stood. "I'll set the soundproofing in the walls, then I must go. Kara is no doubt wondering if I'm delaying my return to hold my magic longer."

"Are you?"

… …

That was a damned good question, Loki thought as he completed the soundproofing sigils on both Tony and their doors and entered the room he shared with his wife. The worst of it was, he did not know the answer. It was painful, having access to his power for brief spurts of time, knowing full well that it was temporary. It might be easier to not have the prospect of accessing it at all, but that would interfere with the other part of his sentence: assisting in the protection of Midgard. He opened the door to their room and sighed wearily. "It is going to be a very long century," he said to Kara's questioning look.

She held her arms out for him and he allowed her to gather him close. "I think it will get more bearable. I was a horrible mess after they did that drug therapy that expanded my empathic senses and I thought I'd never get used to it. Eventually I did, I still didn't like it, but I found ways to deal with it."

"And now you must do so again, because of…"

"Don't even go there," she said, pushing him back. "I am sick and tired of you blaming yourself for everything. It's because of you that I have love…romantic love. If you hadn't done everything you did, I would never have met you and likely would have continued living half a life, seeing my friends pair off and find love and been miserable believing I could never have that. I'm sorry you're having a hard time, but I'm not sorry that it all led to us being together. If that means I'm a selfish bitch, so be it."

He smiled and shook his head ruefully. "Are you quite done?" She nodded, a deliciously chagrined expression gracing her mobile features. "I apologize for not handling my issues better. You are more understanding than I no doubt deserve and I will endeavor not to continue the, ah, 'pity party' as I believe Tony calls it."

"I just want you to be happy, at least a little bit."

"I _am_ happy, for the most part. But being relatively powerless is going to take a great deal of adjusting."

"Humph. You're nowhere near powerless; I saw you in combat practice today. You were still kicking ass against not only Captain America and Iron Man, but two of Asgard's finest…with just 'pathetic mortals' as back up."

"True. Now imagine how easily I could have defeated all of them had I that power I miss so sorely." His smirk grew as realization dawned on her.

"You could have taken Bruce, too, if you'd wanted; it's just that the bad guys didn't know it," she said quietly. He nodded. "And Thor?"

"Hmm, so long as I don't adhere to his standards of honorable combat and make no mistakes, yes, though, I'll admit, with great difficulty."

"Crap. Good thing I fried the bugs S.H.I.E.L.D. left in here. Don't ever tell anyone any of that. They'll have ulcers worrying about something that's never going to happen."

"Kara, one day they will anger me greatly. The only thing that will save them from my wrath is knowing that you care for them." He stroked the pad of his index finger down her nose and tapped her pursed lips with it. "It is your compassion that will keep me from breaking the terms of my sentencing; not the binding of my power, not fear of Thor or of Banner's beast. Just the love in your sweet heart."

… …

She had a lot more faith in Loki's heart than he did, Kara was certain. Now that he was making friends of his own, and was out of his brother's admittedly large shadow, he really was learning to care. He'd backed off of Tony for the nicknames, and the aggravating genius hadn't held much back in that area. Loki had even stopped snarling at Nick, well, mostly. Even she had been tempted to smack that man a few times today. Smiling she rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to the sharp angle of his cheekbone. "Have I told you how amazing you are?" she asked.

"Not today," was his oh-so-serious response.

"Ha. Well, you are. I think you're handling this much better than anyone, except maybe your mother, expected."

"And here I thought you were talking about my body. Ah well."

Kara burst out laughing. His smug expression told her that was the response he was expecting so she shook her head ruefully and hugged him close. "Yes, you're gorgeous, and you know it. So what will it take for me to get that gorgeousness back into bed with me?" She gasped as they materialized on the bed, under the covers, totally nude. "Damn, I forgot to bind your magic back."

"So you did. Go ahead, get it over with," he said, sounding disgruntled.

She concentrated and felt the incoming wash of power that told her it had worked. "I'll bet you can still work all kinds of magic on me," she told him as he hovered over her, nuzzling her sweet spot.

"No doubt."

… …

Morning had come and gone with no mention of the screaming he'd drawn from his lady with his sexual 'magic'. Thank Yggdrasill for soundproofing sigils. Loki stole a glance over his shoulder toward the rise where Kara was refining her fire. Nyvorlas and her honorary brother flanked her, the former to monitor how her emotions factored into her control, the later was taking scientific measurements of the intensity of the flame she produced. At Stark's insistence she was standing behind the blast shield, good. While the fire would do her no damage, a miscalculation could cause the salvaged materials to explode and she was certainly vulnerable to flying debris. Satisfied that she was well protected, he turned back to his hand-to-hand combat practice in time to use the scepter in its spear configuration to knock two of Barton's arrows out of the air. "This was supposed to be hand-to-hand practice," he barked at the man. He'd been teamed with Barton and Romanov yesterday. After the other team's humiliating loss and his own scathing commentary on it, Rogers had suggested an everyone versus Loki match…just for fun, as he'd put it.

"Hand-to-hand for you; since we're pathetic mortals, we get to use whatever we want."

He frowned. The archer had a point. It did even the odds a smidgen and would give him better practice. A red, white and blue blur caught his attention and he twisted to avoid the shield Rogers had flung in the manner of an oversized discus. The other combatants scattered as it continued on its path, then scattered again as it careened off of a rock face and returned to its owner. "You'd do well to consider your teammates when you launch that thing, Rogers."

The captain grinned as he grabbed his shield in midair. "I rarely miss. You've got some fine reflexes, Loki."

A regal nod was his only response as he swung the spear to intercept Hogun and Sif's joint attack. The weighted base blocked the mace and a quick twist sent Hogun stumbling backwards as Loki's blade caught that of Sif's sword. She staggered at the impact, but quickly recovered to swing again, a bit too enthusiastically for a practice bout. Fine. Sidestepping, he caught her blade with his, just above the guard, effectively hooking it and then pulled up and out to disarm her. Another move to the side and a spin put him in position to bodily slam his shoulder into her back. He turned in time to see her sprawl face down in the red dirt. "If you do not keep this at a level appropriate for practice, I will respond in kind," he hissed.

She glared up at him and then stared in consternation as he offered a hand to assist her in rising. Her hesitation was brief and she nodded as she took it and stood. "I apologize. I was caught up in the moment. It won't happen again."

"What the fuck." Loki sighed and refrained from rolling his eyes at yet more profanity from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director. "How did you get that damn weapon back?"

Fury had been locked in long distance conferences along with Haakun when they'd practiced the day before and hadn't seen him with the alien crafted weapon. "Odin gave it to me," he began. Holding up a hand before Fury could let loose with yet another vulgar diatribe, he elaborated. "_After _he broke its connection to the Mad Titan; it can no longer be used to enslave the minds of others. It is now simply an energy weapon powered by the tesseract."

"There's nothing simple about that," the one-eyed mortal groused.

Loki shrugged. "I need some manner of protection. Would you prefer Stark build me a weapon? I am used to the weight and feel of this one. Besides which, its elegance suits me."

"Oh, by all means, your weapon of choice must be elegant." Fury continued to glare at him for a moment and then shook his head and started to laugh. Loki wondered if the stress might be getting to the man. "Okay, I get it. You really go out of your way to be as different from Thor as possible."

"It hasn't a damned thing to do with that oaf. I simply have good taste."

"Yeah. Right." Fury strode off in the direction of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s remaining Quinjet, still chuckling and shaking his head. Imbecile.

"Is good taste that little valued on Midgard?" he wondered aloud.

"In the armed forces, yes," Rogers said. "Except maybe the Marines." Loki stared at him, astounded that the captain would even have an opinion on taste. "Well, that's what Beth says. She thinks only the Marines have attractive dress uniforms."

"Beth…ah, your young lady; Kara mentioned her. A physician, is she not?"

"She will be this spring; she's in her final semester of med school."

"Hmm. It will be helpful to have an actual medical doctor your team can trust. Banner does a fine job, but I suspect he'll be happier concentrating on his research."

"Hey! Blue Boy! Get up here, we need your expertise!" Loki frowned at the new nickname. Stark was really going too far this time and he needed to teach him a lesson, however subtly. As he moved toward the rise he noticed Rogers doing the same.

The man stopped and stared at him. "Oh, I didn't even think…which one of us do you suppose he means?" That was a good question, Rogers was wearing his bright blue uniform…

"Hurry up and haul your star-spangled ass up here!" Stark shouted.

"Okay, he definitely means me," the captain said. Loki grimaced and watched the super soldier trot up to where Stark waited. He'd deal with the so-called genius later.

… …

"Seriously, Tony; do you have to use profanity?" Steve asked as he reached them.

"Oh, give me a break, you military types use it all the time."

"I don't. And I'd appreciate it if you don't use it at all, but since I know that's not going to happen, I'll settle for you not using it with me."

Tony stared at him, totally bemused. "You really are a boy scout. Wow."

"Tony, leave him alone," Kara told him. "Steve doesn't nag you about your…okay, never mind, yes he does." She frowned at the both of them; looking so annoyed he had to laugh. "It's not funny. Both of you grow up and be nicer to each other. God, I'm stuck with a bunch of overgrown adolescents."

"And a god," Tony couldn't resist adding.

"Two gods, if you count Thor. But trust me; they're every bit as adolescent as the rest of you. Sometimes I think Bruce is the only other grown up on the team. Except maybe Nat…_maybe_."

"I think we've been scolded," he told Captain Perfect.

"We deserve it. What did you want my expertise on?"

"That tank…it's from your era, isn't it? Do you have any idea what happens when one catches fire? Jarvis couldn't find sh…squat on the subject."

The man frowned, his eyes distant as he considered. "As best I can remember, nothing on the outside. They'd just burn fiercely inside and anyone unlucky enough to be trapped in it, well, you'd need their dog tags to identify them."

"Okay, that's good, so the shell is strong enough that it just contains the fire, right?" he grinned as cap nodded.

"Yep, you can even drop a grenade in one, close the hatch, and the body of it will hold."

"Great. Kara, go for it, kiddo."

"You've got it." Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the derelict tank. A faint rumbling sounded. "Uh, that doesn't sound so good."

"No, it doesn't…holy shit," he yelled as the tank exploded, parts flying up and out in an arc that was going to bypass the blast shield. "Oh fuck," he whispered.

"Nyvorlas? Anything?" Kara asked hurriedly.

"Nothing I can do will help."

"Oh hell." Kara turned toward the group participating in combat practice…they were right in the path of the flying debris. To compound the problem, another large chunk of the wreckage was heading for the arc reactor generator. "Incoming!" she screamed at the top of her lungs."

The group stopped and turned, Tony could see their horrified looks as they realized they really had no place to go. Loki took a step forward and yelled one word. "Key!"

"Go!" Kara yelled back. Tony had no idea what they were talking about until Loki raised both arms and a green glow spread out from his hands and formed a dome over the gathered combatants. "Tony, what'll happen if the generator is hit?"

"The core is protected, but the release of the already produced power might flatten the portables."

"Oh dear God," Kara whispered. They stared, their attention now on the generator.

"Got an idea." He raised his gauntleted hands and prepared to use his repulsers to push the flying junk past the generator. It might hit the side of the building beyond it, but that would be minor damage in comparison.

"Oh," Kara gasped. "Go Bruce!" Tony shut down the repulsers as a green behemoth charged out of the building closest to the generator and leapt into the air, slamming his body against the large piece of tank, then twisted to grab the two pieces it split into and hurled them out beyond the encampment. They turned back to Loki's magical shield which was now glowing brightly as it absorbed the impact of a virtual rain of debris. "Oh crap, some of that is going to bounce back here," Kara muttered in a horrified voice.

"Stark, give us a hand!" Cap and Himself the Elf were pulling on one edge of the inner blast screen that overlapped the outer one. Grateful he was in his suit, Tony grabbed hold of it and helped them move it around so they had protection from the rear…just in time. He flinched reflexively as some of the lighter pieces that had bounced off of the magic shield slammed into the clear screen and turned to lean his armor clad back against it and braced the servos in his leg armor as the heavier sections hit. The shield vibrated but held.

"Oh, damn, that was close. Thanks, guys," Kara said.

… …

Loki let the magic fall and checked on his companions. No one appeared to be injured, though most still looked as though they were in shock. "Anyone hurt?" he asked. No one indicated an injury so he headed up the rise to where Kara sat on the ground between the two blast shields. "What in the nine realms happened?" he asked angrily.

"It's my fault," his lady said in a small voice.

"I much doubt that." He softened his voice as he realized how upset she appeared. "Tell me, why did it explode? Did you miscalculate?"

"I didn't realize it hadn't been drained of fuel. It was the fuel tank that blew, I could feel it ignite, but there wasn't enough time from when I realized what was happening until the actual explosion so I couldn't douse the flames."

He drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and stave off a headache. "Did no one think to check the salvaged vehicles to ensure they no longer contained fuel?"

"It never occurred to me," Kara told him. "Like I said; it's my fault."

The sheer annoyance of the situation made his hold on his temper tenuous at best. "You are not a military person, you do not know anything about salvage, and you were not responsible for acquiring the targets. It is _not _your fault."

"No, it's mine." He turned to see Fury striding up to them, a male agent trailing behind him like a puppy. "It should have occurred to me or to one of my people and it didn't. Is everyone okay?"

"Just shaken, it would appear," he answered. As contrary as it sounded, he was annoyed that the man had accepted responsibility so readily. It would have been far more satisfying to berate him for the incident.

"Good. Agent Sitwell, have our techs check the remaining salvage. If there is any fuel in any of it, in _any _amount, I want it drained and removed from the area."

"Yes sir, Director," the man said crisply.

"Nice job, by the way. Great teamwork," he said, indicating Stark, Rogers, Nyvorlas and him. "This mess Odin stuck us with just might work out."

"Well, then that makes one of us that thinks so."

An angry roar reminded them that Banner had assumed his beast form. Loki shuddered. While the Hulk wouldn't be able to touch him if he didn't want him to, the memory of the pain the beast had inflicted was still with him. "Well, this is a good opportunity to see how my projections are working now," Kara said, climbing to her feet.

Loki reached out a hand to assist her. "Need you get close?"

"No, I'll try it from here." She turned to face the angry giant, took a deep calming breath and concentrated. Between one roar and the beginning of the next, the Hulk toppled over, the green fading from his skin and his body shrinking as he collapsed. "Wow, it wasn't that easy before."

"Impressive," Fury interjected.

"Yeah, but let's just hope he's okay. Do you have a medical doctor around?" Kara asked.

"Next best thing…Medic!" Fury yelled and a uniformed woman rushed from the area near the Quinjets. They headed down the rise to meet her beside Banner's now restored human form. "Check his vitals, stat."

"Yes, sir." The nondescript female bent over the scientist's body and began checking his pulse and such. Her light brown hair was escaping from its braid and her unremarkable features were set in a determined grimace, no doubt controlling her fear that Banner might suddenly grow large and green again.

"He will not be able to change again so soon," he commented to the woman.

She glanced up, her tense features relaxing. "Thank you, sir, I wasn't aware of that." She turned back to her work, pulling out apparatus from her bag, doubtless to take other readings that meant something to the mortals.

"Hey, the amulet worked," Barton said as he joined them.

"Indeed. He retained all of his clothing, though the shirt is torn." Loki frowned. "I believe that was due to the sharp edges of the debris rather than his change in size."

"Yes," Nyvorlas interjected. "I saw the pieces cut into him while he was in the air. By the time he changed back to this," he said, pointing as the human body prone on the ground, "the wound had mended itself. Remarkable. You will be sharing the story of this creature?"

"I know little of it. Perhaps one of his teammates will do so."

"Other teammates." Loki frowned at Fury's calm statement. "You all worked together as a team. Like it or not, you are now part of that team."

He stared at the usually hard face now set in an amused expression. "I'd consult them on that before you make any assumptions," he snapped.

"Uh, Loki?" He turned to where Captain America stood in full uniform, his trademark shield at the ready. The soldier was flanked by the Black Widow, Hawkeye, Iron Man, and Loki's own lovely Hellbringer. "He's right," Rogers continued. "I think you've proved it to everybody. Welcome to the Avengers."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Woowhoo, turnaround time has impressed even me for this chapter. Hopefully I'll have another one out before next weekend, but no promises. Thanks, as always, for the reviews. So, tell me, do Beth and Steve get it on next chapter, or do they wait? And if they do get it on, who does the seducing? Inquiring mind (mine) wants to know what you think! PM me if you have a strong opinion on it! Until next time, beloved readers…


	45. Chapter 45

Loki stared them all down for a good two minutes, then spun on his heel and stalked off into the distance. "Well, that was fun," Tony muttered. "Where's he going?"

Kara sighed. "Off to sulk." She debated going after him, but decided it would be counterproductive.

"Sulk? Okay, I'll bite. Whyyy?"

"Seriously, Tony?"

"Um, yeah, seriously. We welcomed him to the team. He's finally been accepted for himself. Isn't this what he's wanted his whole damn long life?"

"Yes, but it's also what he's told himself he could never ever have. You've proved him wrong. Now he's wondering if it was his fault after all; if maybe he could have been accepted by the people in Asgard if he hadn't been so resentful all the time."

"Doubt it. They all have sticks up their asses. If you aren't blessed with brute strength, you're not worth much as a warrior, and if you're not a warrior, you're nothing."

"That's a bit simplistic, Stark, but true at its core," Nyvorlas said. He shrugged off glares that statement earned from the three Asgardians. "Tell us, Lady Sif. How much respect did you receive before you proved yourself on the field?" He nodded as Sif flushed angrily. "I thought as much."

"I'll go talk to him," Tony offered.

"No, nothing you or I could say would make a difference. We didn't grow up there, we could never truly understand. Never mind that we both grew up as unappreciated fish out of water, that won't make a difference in the mood he's in."

"I think you're misreading his reaction, your highness," Haakun said.

It took a glance at the councilor to realize that he was addressing her. "How so?"

"Our prince is also reacting to the realization that he cares for these people. He has never allowed himself to care much before."

Kara frowned. "Okay, but what was the trigger?"

"Think on his sentence. He was tasked to protect Midgard from its enemies. Was today's event caused by an enemy?" Haakun smiled as she came to a stunned realization.

"He could have used the magic I unleashed to save himself and me and to hell with everybody else. It would have been considered a training accident and there wouldn't have been a damn thing Odin or anyone else could have done other than be disgusted with him."

"Precisely. I shall go have a word with him, by your leave, of course?"

"By my...oh. Yes, thank you."

... ...

Loki glared at an inoffensive outcropping of rock, wishing he dared use the energy of his weapon to vaporize the damned thing. But no, that would prompt Fury to 'reclassify him as a hostile' and would annoy Kara to no end. She was already annoyed with him for walking away, he was certain. But truly, what did she expect? He was no bloody do-gooder. He was the god of Mischief. The two were wholly incompatible; surely any fool could see that? He was a loner, not a member of a team. A barely noticeable shift of gravel caught his attention. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Haakun approach all but silently. The man was their god of Hunting; the sound he had just made was doubtless a purpose. "What do you want, Haakun?" he asked.

"I tired of the prattle," the councilor said smoothly.

Snorting, Loki turned. "I am the god of Lies for more than one reason, you know."

Haakun shrugged. "Your friends worry for you."

"They are not my friends."

"Can the god of Lies successfully lie even to himself?"

The rock burst into a small shower of dust as he gave in to the temptation to blast the thing. "Why now? When I truly needed friends, I could find none willing to be one. Now that I no longer want them, I have them. The Norns are truly bitches."

Nearly doubling over with laughter, Haakun grinned up at him. "You're just now coming to that realization? Oh, my prince...the Norns have truly been bitches since before the All-Father was born." The man straightened as Loki treated him to a disgruntled look. "And your lying needs work. Even I can see that you do want friends. What is it you fear? Speak honestly, Loki. I will not carry tales back to Asgard."

It was true. Haakun was well known for keeping his word and for keeping his own counsel on issues. And he was the only one on Midgard likely to understand, Loki's own lady included. "I will let them down, Haakun. I always do."

... ...

"I can honestly say that you have never let anyone down, other than yourself."

"No? I think Odin would disagree." The ebony haired prince snorted. "As would Thor."

"My liege was deeply saddened by your behavior, but he has come to the realization that it was, in a good part, due to his actions...or inaction. He feels he let you down."

"I have only ever wanted to please him." Haakun waited as Loki frowned and stared at the ground for a few moments before continuing. "Why did he teach me to hate what I was?"

Haakun noted Loki's lost tone. "It would have made you seem even more different than you already were. By the time the All-Father brought you home, the constant warring with Jötunheim had ensured that every citizen of Asgard hated the Jötunn people with a passion. Had the secret been discovered not even Odin would have been able to protect you. It was a great many centuries before tempers cooled. By that time, Odin saw you only as his son and could not bear to tell you the truth."

"Tell me, honestly. Did I overreact?"

"Yes; but your reaction was understandable, if...excessive."

"It hurt, Haakun; like my soul was being ripped from my body. Everything I knew, _everything_ was a lie. Ironic, is it not? I was named god of Lies, and my entire existence was based on them."

"The irony was lost on none of us who knew the truth." He held up a hand at Loki's sharp look. "Those few of us who knew were sworn to silence by the All-Father. Regardless of whether we agreed with his decision or not, we could not tell you."

The lad looked angry, but how could he be otherwise? "So, I should just let this go? Forget the betrayal?"

"Forget, no. But should you wish to have any kind of life and happiness with your lady, you must forgive it."

"I have already forgiven my father, Haakun. I now see his love."

"Have you forgiven _yourself_?"

... ...

Kara forced herself to continue eating as she felt Loki coming up behind her. He wasn't being quiet about it, but she waited until he laid his hands on her shoulders to look back at him. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear: "Did you forget something, darling?"

She assumed he meant the rebinding of his magic. "No, I just thought it would be rude to do it without you knowing in advance. I knew you wouldn't abuse the extra time with it."

He squeezed her shoulders gently and sat down on the seat beside her. "You knew that, hmm?" She arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Ah, well; you are right. I'd rather keep your trust so that you will not doubt me should an emergency arise."

"See? I knew that, too."

"Cheeky girl."

"You wouldn't love me half so much if I weren't." Loki smirked and snagged a piece of chicken from her plate. "Hey, that's my dinner, get your own!"

"No." His smirk widened at her glare. "What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours."

"And what do you have that isn't on Asgard and therefore out of my reach?"

"Several sizeable bank accounts."

She blinked. "Midgard bank accounts?" He nodded. "How did you manage that?"

"Last spring was hardly the first time I'd come to Midgard. Unlike others, I saw the value in having things here."

"Sneaky."

"Yes, well, _you_ love that about _me_."

"I suppose I do. So, is there anything else you need to do, or should I honor our obligation now?"

He sighed. "Go ahead."

She kissed him and then concentrated. "I'm sure it doesn't get any easier for you, but the process is getting much simpler for me."

Loki sidled closer, drawing her into his embrace. "I can manage, so long as I have you."

"Good, that means you'll always be able to manage."

His smile turned smug at the implied promise. "Why are you eating alone?"

"I wanted to eat with you, but I ended up being too hungry to wait any longer. Everybody else was all but done by the time I decided it was either eat or fall over. Why am I so damn hungry all of the time?"

"Your metabolism is still adjusting, and I suspect still at an advanced rate. That requires more fuel than you're used to." He shrugged. "And the Æsir always eat more than those of Midgard, at least to some degree."

"I noticed that with Fandral and Hogun. The kitchen crew left the serving dishes covered in the back; we can go get something for you to eat." She frowned as he helped himself to another piece of her chicken. "Or I can just get more for me since you're making some serious inroads on my dinner."

"Let's get a lot more for you and you can continue to share it with me."

They went back to the kitchen area and helped themselves to more fried chicken and vegetables, piling it all, as Loki had suggested, on her plate. "You just want don't want to use another plate so people will think you're starving yourself with angst," she accused. A rush of confusion washed through him. "No?"

"No." He paused and frowned. "Sharing a plate is something married couples often do in Asgard to show their unity, and that all is well between them. Long time lovers will also do so. It's a signal that no interference in the relationship will be welcomed by either partner."

"Um, does it mean Odin and Frigga have an open relationship since they didn't share a plate?"

Loki chuckled as he carried their dinner back out to the dining hall. "No, that means that everyone knows damned well that to do more than respectfully flirt with Frigga would bring the wrath of both of them. All know that she loves him fully and he her. And it does not mean that any couple that does not share a plate is welcoming an approach. It's usually done when there is a perception that the couple is having problems or when one, ah, feels the need to show the other how much they mean to them."

Kara took the plate from his unresisting hands and sat it down on the table. Wrapping her arms tightly around his lean waist, she stretched up on her toes to press a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you too."

… …

Tony frowned down at the twisted pieces of metal. He had a magnifying shield over his eyes and could see that the damage was not what he'd expect for a fuel related explosion. "I need to get this puppy under the microscope," he told Banner.

The scientist looked up from the melted and fractured piece of glass he was examining. "It's all yours. I don't think you're going to come to a different conclusion, though." He stood and picked up the tray that held a selection of items and moved it to the side and waited while Tony brought his sample over and slid it under the scope. "Am I right?" Bruce asked after the genius had scrutinized the metal for several minutes.

"Yup, you're right. Damn." He looked up and stared off into the distance. "We're no longer talking about _just_ igniting a fuel source. She's altering the cellular structure of elements that would normally be inflammable to the point where they can burn." Tony sat back and scrubbed his face with his hands and then looked up and stared at his friend. "You know, this is actually a good thing."

"Seriously?" Banner stared at him as though he'd lost him mind. "What part of telling Kara she's making fireproof things burn do you think would go over well?"

"Oh, come on, Brucie, use your noodle. She's an expert on genetics like you, so she understands atomic structure. If she knows _how_ she's doing it, she'll be able to not do it, or do it by choice. All it will take is practice. Kara can figure out how to regulate it so she won't burn things she doesn't want to burn. But if the Chitauri make it back here, she should be able to bring down those leviathans. Bastards wouldn't burn so she couldn't touch them in Asgard."

"Here's the big question. Is her ability to alter the cellular structure of something limited in any way or is it wide open?"

Fuck. That was a damn good question. "I don't know. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and postulate that it's limited to making something flammable since her original mutation was pyrokinesis."

"I was trying to avoid this, but I think I'm going to have to ask her for a genetic sample. I've got her original samples on file for comparison."

"She won't freak, but Bambi might; or Haakun might, for that matter. I'm not sure what the protocol is for scientific examination of what makes the Æsir tick."

… …

Darcy stepped out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet and looked around. Yep, every bit as inhospitable as it was last spring. Why was she back here? Oh yeah, for her absent minded geneticist. She grinned and hefted her pack over her shoulder and turned to urge Beth on. "Come on, the ramp isn't that steep," she told her as the blonde sidestepped down it carefully.

"I know, I know. I just have terrible balance." Beth finally made it to the bottom of the ramp and performed her own perusal. "Wow, it's pretty desolate…and hot."

"That's why they call it a desert."

"Ha, ha."

"It'll be even hotter in the middle of the day. I wonder why there's no welcoming committee. If we don't rate, Dr. Nassar should." Darcy looked back into the Quinjet where Nassar stood talking to Pepper. The strawberry haired fiancé of Tony Stark was nodding seriously to something the psychiatrist said. They both turned and headed for the ramp. "About time," she groused.

"Missing Bruce?" Pepper asked as she left Nassar and joined them.

"Oh yeah. It's been days, you know…and a girl's got needs."

"Tell me about it. I haven't even seen Tony for over a week. Beth hasn't seen Steve either."

"Yeah, but she's not doing the dirty with the Boy Scout. Hey, Beth, have you two even gotten to second base yet?"

"Darcy!"

"What? Inquiring minds want to know."

"It's none of inquiring minds' business," Beth countered. "Steve is a gentleman. He wants to do things right."

"Oh please. You're a final year med student. If you're a virgin then I'm Mother Theresa."

"Wait, what does being about to graduate from medial school have to do with being a virgin, or not?"

"Come on, with all of that stress? You had to have been getting laid for relief at some point. Besides, you've been in college for what, eight years now?"

"Haven't you ever had a bullet vibe? Best stress relief on the planet. And it's been seven years. I did my undergrad work in three and then four years of med school and clinical work. I still have to do four years of residency."

"Geez. I'll never get a doctorate. I'll be lucky if I make it through getting my Master's. And hey, I burn my bullets out on pretty much a monthly basis." She grimaced and then looked around again. "Didn't they know we were coming in? Where _is_ everybody?"

"Tony knew. I don't know if he told Bruce," Pepper said. "He specifically wasn't going to tell Steve. Anyone want to bet that Tony and Bruce are in whatever they've set up as a lab and Steve's found some kind of gym?"

"No bet. Hey, doc?" Darcy said as Raj Nassar reached them. "Where's the lab?"

"They hadn't set one up when I left, though I suspect it would be in that building." He pointed to a building set slightly apart from the others. "It hadn't yet been erected when I left."

"Thanks!" she took off at a run, leaving the other women standing in her dust.

The building did indeed hold a makeshift lab and a workshop as well. Her Bruce was hard at work in the former, leaning over a microscope and making notations one handed into one of the SI-Flip tablets. He looked up at her knock. "Darcy? What are you doing here?"

She sighed. "Tony didn't tell you we were coming? Well, duh, obviously Darcy. Pepper, Beth and I caught a ride with Dr. Nassar."

"Oh, he's back." Her eyes widened at his positively icy tone. Bruce must have realized the way he sounded because he looked up with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I'm kind of distracted."

"Not buying it. What did he do?"

"I-it's classified, Darce. I'm sorry, but I don't even really have clearance. If I say anything, I'll, well, they'll get angry and then I'll get angry and then we'll have a big mess."

"Huh. So maybe you need a break?" she said as seductively as she could manage, wrapping her arms around his neck and, not coincidentally, pressing her boobs against his back.

"Need, yes, but I don't have time. I've got to finish this. Kara is having some problems and we may have found a resolution."

"We? You got a mouse in your pocket?" She looked down at his lap as she let her breath tickle his ear. "Hmm, nope, I'm thinking a rabbit…or maybe a jumbo carrot."

"Uh, maybe a short break."

… …

Beth slipped into the gym quietly and looked around. A man and a woman she didn't recognize were listening to Steve explain the use of a bow-flex machine, which was weird when she thought about it. She'd have pegged him as the punching bag type. One of the Avengers must have introduced him to it. Another person with long white-blonde hair stood nearby staring at the apparatus with revulsion. He…she decided the figure was male when Steve shifted to the side far enough for her to see the man's lower half…frowned and pushed his hair behind long pointed ears. Her jaw dropped. She stared, shook her head and stared again. Was there a movie set nearby? No, the Hobbit films were shooting in New Zealand. The man looked up at her and smirked. "Captain," he said in an oddly accented light tenor voice. "We have a newcomer to the site."

Steve turned around and his entire face lit up as he smiled. "Beth! I didn't know you were coming out here, it's so great to see you." He hurried over and took her hands. "Um…" he trailed off with an uncertain look.

She laughed. "Kiss me, silly."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. Nuh uh. Turning her head at exactly the right moment so that his lips touched hers instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He flushed, returned the embrace, chuckled nervously, and then _finally_ kissed her properly. "I really missed you," he said when she let him come up for air.

"I missed you too. That's why I asked for a few days off when Pepper said she was flying out here. Is it okay that I came along?"

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely. You're cleared."

Beth rolled her eyes. "I meant, is it okay with _you_."

"It's great." He kept one arm around her waist and turned back to his companions. "Folks, this is Beth Anderson. She's, um…my girlfriend." Beth bit back a giggle. Her hero had finally managed to say the 'g' word. "Beth, this is Lady Sif and Hogun the Grim, they're two of the top warriors from Asgard, where Thor's from." The pair nodded politely. "And this is Prince Nyvorlas. He's from a realm called Ljósálfheim; his people, the Ljósálfar are what we would call light elves."

Oh. My. God. The ears were real. This guy was a real, honest-to-God elf. Too much. She tried very hard not to gape at him like a fool. "Um, I'm pleased to meet all of you," she finally managed, thankfully without stammering. Not having really seen them, she'd thought the idea of Thor and Loki being Norse gods was hard to swallow. Elves? Wow.

The elf smiled, more of a real smile instead of a smirk this time. "You're handling it quite well," he said kindly. "Do try to breathe deeply for a bit lest you become faint."

"Right. Thanks." She frowned. How did he know she was starting to feel faint?

"My people are sensitive to emotional distress. You were projecting such rather forcefully."

"Oh. Kind of like Dr. Gunnarssen or Dr. Nassar?"

"More sensitive than Dr. Nassar by a good measure. I do not know this Dr. Gunnarssen you speak of."

"Princess Kara," the one Steve had identified as Hogun said, his voice sounding, well, grim. She decided he was appropriately named.

Wait. Princess…oh wow. "Uh, _Princess _Kara?" she squeaked.

"Oh boy. That's right. There's a whole lot you don't know. I'm sorry; I'm going to have to talk to Director Fury before I fill you in. How long are you here for? Did they assign you a room?"

"Um, a few days, Pepper said they had a room for me and Darcy, but we haven't been shown it yet."

"Okay. Guys? I'll check back with all of you later, I need to go get Beth settled." He hesitated until the three extraterrestrials - ohmygodtheywereabunchofETs! - nodded and then led her out of the room.

… …

"Hey handsome, you come here often?" Tony blinked as his brain rapidly disengaged from the research he was absorbing at the sound of the sultry voice coming from his workshop door.

"Only to pick up sexy newly minted C.E.O.'s; you know any?" he asked as he spun his stool around to face her.

"If holding the job for a week and a half is what you mean by newly minted, then yes, In fact, I do," she countered.

"Good deal. Because, you know, playboy philanthropists like me have standards. I couldn't pick you up if you were only a V.P.; that just wouldn't fit the image."

"You goof."

"Yeah, but I'm your goof." He stood and reached out for her. "God, Pep, I've missed you. I hope like hell that you've missed me."

She let him crush her close and slipped her hands up the back of his tee shirt, running her palms over the slightly scarred skin. "More than anything; I was so worried."

"I know, I'm sorry." He claimed her lips in a deep, life affirming kiss. "But I was doing great things," he told her earnestly. "I helped kill one of the bastards that tortured Loki and almost killed Thor."

"Thor was almost killed? Oh my God, Tony! Is he okay? What am I going to tell Jane?"

"Tell Jane that Thor is fine. Kara was able to save him, just like she saved Loki. He'll visit as soon as his dad's gotten enough rest to sit the damn throne again. The old fart had a hell of a workout with that battle. You should have seen the dude; magic and this awesome spear downing attackers left and right. It was radical."

"I'm sure. Jesus, Tony, it wasn't even our world, you could have been killed."

"Yeah, that didn't stop Thor when it was our world, did it?"

"Thor is a Norse god. You're, well…"

"I'm one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. That's what I am, Pepper, I'm not going to change. It may get me killed, but if I'm lucky, I'll be able to retire and say the hell with it after a while, but not just yet. There's too much going on, too much scary shit that's heading our way. I'm not going to step back and say that someone else has to handle it. Doing that could get you and a lot of other people killed."

She stared at him and then laughed softly. "How long did it take you to memorize that speech?"

"Uh, about fifteen minutes?"

"Good job." Sighing she took his face in her hands. "Tony, I may be scared to death because you need to be a hero, but I love you exactly the way you are. It's okay. But if I get grey hairs worrying about you, you're paying the salon bills to color them."

"That works for me."

… …

"Who the hell do you think you are bringing those civilians here?" Nick Fury spat.

"I'm the man who gets your pet operations approved at a higher level," Raj returned calmly. "Nick, relax. These women are all cleared. Ms. Anderson's father was with the U.S. Secret Service. Ms. Potts and Ms. Lewis have already had a great deal of contact with the Asgardians and have said nothing to outsiders. Your Avengers need their support. You know this. These women are a safety valve, bleeding off rising tempers; particularly Ms. Potts and Ms. Lewis."

Nick sighed and settled back down into his chair. "I know, and we've already put Ms. Anderson on the watch list for recruitment. Fine, whatever; next time give me the courtesy of a damned heads-up so that I'm not caught with my head up my ass."

"I do apologize for that." Raj smiled at the suggested imagery.

"Ha. So tell me, Raj. Have you thought about how they're going to react to the fucking elf?"

… …

"Maybe we should have done this before breakfast," Bruce mused as they trudged out to the rocky outcropping where Loki and Kara awaited them. After leaving Darcy to get some sleep, he'd spent the rest of the night analyzing the genetic sample Kara had given them before she and Loki had retired. Tony had given him access to Jarvis for the results of her previous testing. The changes were amazing, and her DNA was now closer to Thor's than it was to that of any normal human. Not that she'd been a 'normal human' before, but still, the difference was dramatic from even her original results. He'd also spent a good deal of time debating the nature of her original ability with Tony after the billionaire had snuck away from Pepper. It would take some experimentation to be sure, but he was ninety percent certain they'd figured out how pyrokinetics set objects on fire…and it was a doozy of an explanation.

"Nah, she needs to have her strength up for this. You know she's going to want to start working on it right way," Tony argued.

"Let's just hope the idea of what she's doing doesn't make her nauseous."

"We're talking molecules here, not blood and guts, she'll be fine."

Bruce shook his head and stared at the ground, hoping Tony was right. All too soon they reached the outcropping. Loki gave the two of them an impatient look; hopefully his mood wouldn't deteriorate. He really didn't want Kara to see him make Loki sized indentations in the desert floor if the puny god managed to provoke his other. "What is so confidential that you insisted we meet you out here?" said god demanded.

"It's about Kara's test results," Tony told him. "We've discovered something, well, out of the ordinary that we didn't think she wanted shared with anyone but you."

"They're being helpful, Loki. Stop glowering." Loki snorted at Kara's request, but he settled down on one of the rocks and tugged her to sit on his lap. "Okay, who gets to give me the bad news?" she asked.

"That would be me," Bruce said, trying not to sigh as he pulled his glasses out and fiddled with them before placing them back in his pocket. "Did you understand how you used your pyrokinesis before?" he asked.

"I just thought hard about something catching fire or being engulfed in flames, or heating up, and it did."

"But you never determined the scientific basis of how it was happening?"

"Obviously not or she would have said so," Loki snapped. Kara sighed and he shook his head slightly. "I apologize. Your insistence on privacy for this meeting is not sitting well. I'll admit I am as uneasy as my lady."

"Apology accepted. Kara, we believe that a, for want of a better word, _normal _pyrokinetic sets something on fire by using an energy projection that excites the molecules of an object much like a microwave does…just on a more intense scale."

"I'm sending out electromagnetic radiation?"

"Not exactly or you'd be creating electrical arcs when the energy passed through any metal in, on or around your target. We'd have to run scans to determine what kind of energy you're sending out, but it is an energy that passes through the object you've focused on and builds up thermal energy within the object until it ignites."

"Okay, I'm following. Makes sense, really. Good job guys."

"With the changes to your body, the energy you're sending out is a great deal stronger. Based on your experiments over the past two days, we estimate the output has increased at least a hundredfold." He paused and looked at her carefully. Other than pressing back against Loki's chest and frowning, she didn't look particularly distressed. Yet. "As a result, it appears that the energy you are projecting is doing more than just exciting the molecules. It seems to be slightly altering the molecules. Not much, just enough to make them more vulnerable to the buildup of thermal energy."

"So something that's flammable burns far more quickly and something that wouldn't normally catch fire would?"

"That, or explode, depending on its natural overall composition."

She tilted her head back to stare up at Loki. "I told you the tank was my fault."

"Perhaps partially. But the fuel did explode as well, and that is likely what propelled the pieces such a great distance."

"I've got to agree with the Lokemiester there. It's like launching a rocket." Bruce shook his head as Tony interrupted with yet another corruption of Loki's name. "Maybe making the walls of the tank burn was your doing, but the pieces going over the blast shield was definitely _S.H.I.E.L.D.'s_ fault." Tony snickered. "Get it? Bypassing the _shield_ was _S.H.I.E.L.D.'s_…aw, never mind, nobody has a sense of humor around here."

"No one but you has that juvenile of a sense of humor, Tony," Bruce corrected. He let a ghost of a smile out as Loki relaxed and gave him an approving nod.

"Fine, whatever. Everyone being endangered wasn't Kara's fault, can we all agree on that?" Tony groused.

"Yes, Tony," Loki said. "On that much we are agreed."

… …

Darcy lounged on the towel she'd spread out, waiting for her toenails to dry. That was one advantage of this climate. If the wind wasn't blowing dust around, you could go outside and get your polish to dry in just a few minutes. She looked off into the distance and could just barely make out the figures of Bruce, Tony, Kara and Loki. She'd only had a quick look at the couple during breakfast before they'd headed out. They'd said Kara could control fire, which was pretty ironic since her hair was a bunch of different shades of red, kind of like a silk flame. Her eyes were really funky. They were a combination of blue, green and silver, and changed constantly. Bruce said it looked like the changes occurred as her focus changed, but he didn't have the equipment to confirm it. He also said it was a new development. Before she'd gone to Asgard, the woman had regular hazel eyes that changed normally, with emotion, and the colors around them. "There you are." She looked up at Beth. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

"Bruce took off, some top secret stuff he had to talk to Kara and Loki about," Darcy told her. "I got bored."

"I know how you feel. Steve went for a run with the ETs. Apparently they can run even faster than him, so he feels like he's getting a good workout."

"ETs?"

"Yeah. They're not from Earth so they're extraterrestrials."

"Oh. Okay, that's cool. I've only seen Sif and Hogun up close before, well, of the ones here. They didn't seem all that special, but that's probably because they were fighting some robot thing. The elf prince is hot."

"I thought you were serious with Dr. Banner?"

"Yeah, but I'm not blind. He's scorching H.O.T.T. hot, I tell you."

Beth giggled. "Okay, okay. I'm having trouble getting past the ears. My brain just shuts down."

"Huh. Well, I saw Thor call lightning and later step into a hole in the air and disappear, so I guess the ears aren't a big deal next to that."

"Good point." She was blessedly silent for a few minutes. Darcy lightly tapped one of her toenails. It was almost completely dry. "Do you think they're right, and Loki's a hero now?"

She stared at the blonde. "I wouldn't go that far. "I mean, Bruce said the guy wasn't in control of what he did, that it wasn't his fault, but still, he did a truck load of crap. But maybe he's not psychotic like we all thought."

"Kara looks like she really loves him. I talked her before she went to Asgard, just for a bit. She seemed really nice, kind of normal."

"She's a mutant. Bruce said she's a pyrokinetic and did some power with emotions; pretty scary stuff. She could even calm him down when he hulked out using it." Darcy frowned. "Of course, he also said she was really smart and a great psychologist and cared about everyone."

"So now she's a princess. That's kind of throwing me, too. And Steve said her body is changing, that's what happened to her eyes and that she's well on her way to becoming the same race as Sif and Hogun and that older man. Does that mean she's going to be a goddess?"

"I don't think it works that way, but I could be wrong. Guess we'd have to ask her." Darcy rolled her eyes. "Assuming that's something we're cleared to know."

… …

Steve hopped into the shower. Five miles going all out, it was amazing. He could actually feel the burn in his muscles…and smell the sweat that soaked his shorts and tee shirt. A shower was definitely required before he went to find Beth. He couldn't believe she'd flown all the way out here to see him. She was so darn sweet. It helped that Pepper had invited her to live in the tower since her apartment had been condemned after the attack in New York. He hadn't realized she was living on a friend's couch. Now she could miss a few days of work and not have to worry about not being able to afford to eat. He was a bad boyfriend. Grinning he finished rinsing the soap out of his hair and off of his body. He had a real girlfriend! After drying himself vigorously with a towel, he pulled on a clean pair of jeans and tee shirt and headed back outside to find her. "Lose something, captain?" He turned and nodded crisply to Director Fury.

"Not lost, sir. But I am looking for Miss Anderson."

"She's on the west side of the building with Ms. Lewis."

"Thank you, sir. Um, director?"

"Yes, captain?"

"How high have you cleared the civilians?"

Fury grimaced and looked around. "They've been cleared for everything other than Dr. Nassar's status," the leather clad man said quietly.

Steve frowned. "One more thing, sir, if I may?"

"What is it?"

"Aren't you hot in that outfit?" Fury glowered at him, spun on his heel and stalked away. "Huh, touchy subject, I guess." He headed around the building. Sure enough, Beth and Darcy were sitting on the ground, using the building as a backrest. Both girls were barefoot and they held the plastic beverage bottles that the staff had insisted everyone keep full of water and carry around with them. Steve had no earthly idea what he'd done with his. "Good morning, ladies," he said as he approached.

"Ladies? Geez, where are we, a debutante ball?" Darcy muttered.

"Darcy, he's being polite. It wouldn't kill you to appreciate it." Beth was sticking up for him. Thank God his old-fashioned ways didn't embarrass her too much.

"Sorry, but I was raised to treat every woman as a lady until she proved herself not to be…and even then to still treat her as a lady unless she forced me to do otherwise."

"Yeah, sweet. But there's a limit, you know?" Darcy said with a slight smirk.

Steve frowned. The girl was kind of pretty. Not as pretty as Beth, of course, but he could see what Dr. Banner saw in her. She was awfully young for him, though. Oh well, not his business. "I guess, but I'd rather be too nice than be a jerk."

"There is that." The brunette stood and shook out the towel she'd been sitting on. "Well, I'm going to find Bruce and leave you very nice people to enjoy each other's company. Though how you can really do that without getting past second base I'll never understand."

He stared at the retreating figure. "Okay, I'm confused," he admitted to Beth who had also stood and was shaking out her towel.

"Darcy is…highly sexed," Beth said, sounding hesitant. "Don't let it bother you; a lot of nice women have a much looser attitude about sex than you're used to. It doesn't mean they aren't good people."

"Oh, I know. There were a few ladies I knew of that were, well, kind of easy. But they were really nice and all. Um, am I going too slowly? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

She smiled and it was like the sun came out from behind a cloud. "No, Steve. I-wow, I guess we really need to talk about this. You…I'm not a virgin, does that bother you?"

He blushed, again. "No, uh…it's really none of my business, but did you love the guy you gave yourself to?"

"I thought I did. And I thought he loved me. I was wrong."

"Well, at least you thought you were in love. That counts, you know. I guess I'm glad you were wrong, because otherwise I probably wouldn't have met you…and well, you wouldn't have been available if I had." Oh, that came out bad. "I mean, I'm sorry if you got hurt by the guy and all, but…"

She giggled. "Oh, Steve; I understand. Thank you. I'm kind of glad, too. We can take it slow if that's what you want. I'm not in a rush. But you don't get away with kissing me on the cheek like I'm your sister anymore."

"No, ma'am."

"You're going to give me full out kisses, complete with cuddling and such."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And you're not going to hesitate to ask for more when you're sure that's what you want, okay?"

"Okay. I really care about you, and I just want it to all be right."

"It will be."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Oh boy, this got to be a long one. Hope it held your attention throughout. I'm not any good at ruthlessly editing myself. I've already done a few hundred words on Chapter 46, so you may see that by the weekend. Thanks again for all of the lovely reviews. You really make my day!


	46. Chapter 46

**Author's Notes:** Okay, if you want to avoid some graphic smexy, skip to the next section when you see Darcy's name. Thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews, guesses and encouragement. It really feels great to have so many lovely people on this journey with me!

… …

Nyvorlas nodded as he felt the woman's shields drop into place. "Very good. You've mastered building and lowering them. It's time to practice holding them against an assault." He tried not to let his irritation show as she rolled her eyes. These mortals…well, former mortal in her case, had the most annoying mannerisms.

"Oh, fun. Not," Loki's princess muttered. "I didn't know your people could use empathy offensively."

"They cannot. But what we will do is use a mirror ward. You will attempt to attack me, and the ward will bounce it back at you."

"So, in effect, I'll be attacking myself. Hmm, not sure if that's going to work; I have to feel the emotion to amplify and send it."

_And they tended to miss the obvious_. "But if you suddenly feel it much more strongly, you will know that you have not blocked the attack."

She shrugged. "Okay. I've always wondered what it feels like. If my shielding is crappy, I guess I'll be finding out."

He frowned, their phrasing also left much to be desired. "Your shielding is not _crappy_, but your projections are exceptionally powerful. If you can block them, you can block anything mental that anyone throws at you. I was not able to block them with standard wards and shielding. This mirror ward is something Loki and I have devised between us. Neither of us had the knowledge or power to create it alone."

"Should we try it now?"

"No, not until Loki returns. I do not want him to see you collapsing from a distance if you cannot block your own power. I'd be lucky to keep my head long enough for him to remember that you were in no danger."

"Smart man."

… …

Pepper stretched out on the bed, waiting patiently for Tony to return from his shower. Even with the suit's built-in cooling, he had still been soaked with sweat after the morning's combat practice. She smiled as their door opened and he entered; his hair towel-dried and charmingly disheveled. Since she knew for a fact that he'd taken a comb with him, the mussed 'do' was intentional. "Feeling better?" she asked with the tiny smile that she knew drove him crazy in all the right ways.

"Much. Thanks to Frosty, our cold water is actually cold, so I stood under that for a while before turning on the hot water to get clean."

She looked at the slight tenting in his shorts. "Well, it doesn't look like you kept the cold on for too long."

"Nah. I knew I had a hot fiancé waiting for me. Wouldn't want to waste the adrenaline build up and disappoint her."

Pepper bit her lip to keep from laughing at his roguish expression. "You are such a ham." The threatened laughter finally escaped. "Seriously, Tony…let the real you peek out for a few minutes, okay?"

"The real me. Which real me? The genius, the billionaire, the playboy, or the philanthropist?"

"Tony…"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He sat down on the bed and waited until she had settled herself against the wall that was substituting for a headboard. "What is it, Pep?"

"It's about Kara…and Loki."

"Okay, what about them? Oh, and I'm sorry they beat us to the altar, but you know, it wasn't my fault. Or theirs, for that matter."

"I know; but that's the thing. They didn't really get to an altar. At least, they haven't had a traditional wedding or any of the fun parts of it. I mean, really, they haven't even had a honeymoon."

"Huh. I was kind of envying Loki not having to do all of the ceremony stuff, but the missing out on the honeymoon part sucks the big one."

"Tony."

"Yeah, I know; totally irreverent. Sorry."

"I'm sure. Anyway, I was thinking…"

"Oh crap, now we're in big trouble."

"Anthony Edward Stark!" He winced and flashed her his best puppy dog expression. She wasn't going to melt under it, not this time. "What do you think about the idea of them having an Earth-style wedding, complete with all the preparations, parties, and such, and then having a honeymoon? At least a short one, I know Loki's supposed to be serving a sentence and such, but you don't get major threats every month let alone every week."

He stared at her for a minute, blinking slowly as he processed the flood of words she'd purposely dumped on him. "I suppose you expect me to foot the bill?"

"Well, yes."

Swinging his legs up on the bed, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down to lay beside him. "Okay. But you have to make the arrangements. It's so far outside of my areas of expertise it's ludicrous."

"No problem."

"And you have to clear it with Haakun and Fury. And probably Nassar."

"Why Dr. Nassar?"

"Uh…I think Fury's assigned him as a special liaison from S.H.I.E.L.D. to Asgard's representatives. Probably wants someone sensitive enough to not piss them off."

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Yep, for a change." He shrugged when she gave him a sharp look. "Hey, I don't usually think Fury makes a hell of a lot of sense."

"So, I get it cleared, we're good."

"Oh, babe, we're always good, especially together," he purred as he slid a calloused hand under her camisole top to gently caress her breasts.

"Remind me to thank Loki for the soundproofing," she managed to gasp as his touch roughened and his strong fingers pinched a nipple.

… …

Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I didn't realize you had that many connections," he said to Raj Nassar.

"They aren't my personal connections, or not all of them are. Each member of our Council works to develop one or two close connections in their part of the world." His shrug was self-deprecating. "We must have some way to bypass red tape in addition to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation for results."

"I hate politics."

"Which is why you are the Director and not a regent on the Council. Though, frankly, I'm not terribly fond of politics myself, though I'm very good at playing the game."

"Will these people have the authority to negotiate on Midgard's behalf?" the Asgardian Councilor asked.

Nassar grimaced. "No. However, they have great influence on those who do. What must first happen is for the Ambassadors to the United Nations to obtain permission from their individual governments to negotiate a treaty with Asgard. Next, the Ambassadors must appoint a small committee to do the actual negotiation with you. Once they've agreed on terms they will put it up to a vote amongst all of the Ambassadors. Two-thirds of them must agree to ratify the treaty, or it must go back to the committee for further negotiation."

Haakun groaned. "I begin to understand Loki's stance on conquest of this world. Surely it would make governance simpler."

Nick snorted at the idea. "You'd be dealing with rebellion on a constant basis. Our various peoples are too different culturally for it to work. Believe me, the idea has been floated often enough. Unfortunately, we've got over seven billion people, within dozens of exceptionally dissimilar cultures."

"Ah. That's…significantly larger a population than the other eight realms combined."

"Isn't Asgard's entire population about ten thousand?" Rogers asked. Nick had almost forgotten that four of the Avengers were there, they'd been so quiet during the discussions.

"That's like seven hundred thousand times Asgard's population," Dr. Banner mused. "No wonder Loki was able to make the enemy think it was doable. He was using his perceptions based on a much smaller population."

"Probably on purpose, the crafty bastard," Barton muttered from the seat beside the Black Widow.

Romanov hadn't opened her mouth, but her eyes were avidly watching all of them. She knew politics better than anyone, both its public face and its seedy underside. "Ms. Romanov, no comments on anything we've discussed?" Nick asked.

She lifted one slender black clad shoulder. "You've covered the political side thoroughly. Councilor Haakun will need security. I suggest the Avengers be retained for that purpose."

"Nat, we've got to take Loki back to Asgard so he can go to Jötunheim. I don't think him and Kara should go alone, you know. I don't trust Asgard to keep them safe on that trip."

"You do not trust us with the safety of our own Prince and his Princess, Hawkeye?"

Barton flushed slightly. "You didn't do a really great job in your own damn palace. That dark elf bastard nearly killed both of them. How are you going to manage it when you throw a different realm in the mix?"

"We're taking steps to ensure that such does not happen again. The All-Father will be sending a company with them to Jötunheim so that they will have extra protection there."

"I don't think that's good enough."

Nick compressed his lips at Barton's obstinacy. "Are you volunteering to go along?" he asked.

"Mortals would not survive the climate. It is terribly harsh even for the Æsir," Haakun told them.

"I'd survive it. My other would come out, but I'd survive it," Banner said quietly.

Barton grinned. "That's why Kara is getting that arctic gear. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s arctic-issue body armor is insulated with Stark Industries' version of hydrophobic aerogel."

"What's that?" Rogers asked.

Banner pushed his glasses up his nose as he leaned forward. "Aerogel is a manmade substance that's the lowest density solid in existence. It's approximately ninety-six percent air. Amazingly enough it can support about four thousand times its own weight and survive a direct blast from two lbs of TNT. It's also the best insulator in existence. The hydrophobic variety can deal with getting wet without breaking down."

"It's practically standard issue. Fury can get more for us," Barton insisted and then turned to Banner. "Hey, with that amulet, you could go too and not worry about your other coming out when he's not needed or about destroying it if you Hulk out."

"I could. And I have to admit, seeing Jötunheim would be interesting from a scientific point of view."

"There, two volunteers right here. Cap, what do you think?"

"I think I'd better stick with Councilor Haakun as his security. It's not that I don't want to help Loki, but me in uniform supporting this might say a lot to the U.N. since there's a lot of Ambassadors who lived through the aftermath of World War Two and the defeat of the Nazis."

"I'll go," Romanov offered. "I've developed a good working relationship with Sif and Hogun, and they tell me they'll be part of the group going to Jötunheim. They're also of the opinion that most of the weapons I've shown them will work well there."

"Your Iron Man has already indicated that he will accompany me to these meetings. It seems his lady has informed him of business he must attend to in the area, and he is also willing to host informal gatherings of…Captains of Industry, I believe he called it, to gain support."

"Okay. Me and Stark to New York, and the rest of the team goes with Loki and Kara," Rogers told them.

"And what happens if we have an emergency and need the Avengers?" Nick grated.

"Director, you will have two Avengers and a Norse god at your disposal. I should think that would be sufficient." Haakun grinned at his surprise. "I am a warrior of some small renown and am our god of Hunting."

"He's a better shot with every one of my bows than me," Barton grumbled. "Even styles he'd never seen before."

"I've had several thousand years of practice, Hawkeye. And my vision is superior than even your remarkable eyesight."

Nick shook his head, wondering why he even pretended he had any damn control over any of this. "Well, if _we're _all decided, let's get to it."

… …

Kara grinned as the last in the series of new targets burst into flame in the exact way she'd intended. It had taken three more days of experimentation, but she was finally getting the hang of it. All of the work she'd done with Nyvorlas on her shielding had paid off. Fully shielded, she was able to center herself and now had the fine control she needed. Concentrating again, she made the flames die almost as quickly as they'd risen. "Hmm, I think I shall have to give up one of my titles to you, my love," Loki told her as he sat up from where he'd been lounging on a blanket nearby.

"Uh, why?"

"Once you're fully Æsir, you should be the goddess of Fire; you have far more power over it than any other I've met."

Now Kara was confused. "I thought you were the god of Mischief and Lies?"

"I am, and those are the titles that most remember. I am also the god of Chaos and Fire." He stood and stretched; carefully rotating the shoulder that had taken the brunt of an attack from a Hulked out Bruce in the combat practice the Avengers and their Asgardian friends had 'enjoyed' while she was working on centering with Nyvorlas. She'd kept some of her attention on the group, ready to calm the Hulk down if he got out of hand.

"Oh. Well, chaos makes sense. Most mischief and lies result in chaos. But I'm not sure where fire came from."

"No? Walk into a crowded building and yell 'fire'. What results?"

"Chaos…oh. That's kind of a reach, though."

"I agree, love. We don't choose what titles we're saddled with. Odin consults with Asgard's Seers and together they determine who best represents a particular aspect." He stood and reached for her. "Of course, none of the Seers could have predicted you."

"Could they not?" They turned and saw Haakun climbing the rise. "Do you think it a coincidence that our god of Fire has married a former mortal who is the perfect personification of that aspect? How many of the gods would willingly cede a title they have borne to another?"

"I see your point. Were Kara not my wife, I would not willingly give up the title for her, regardless of it being a title that suits me ill."

"Huh. Do you think that's why Frigga told me it was about time I'd come along? Maybe a long time ago she saw a love for you that would be a pyrokinetic?"

"Hard to say; I was given that title over a thousand years ago. I'm not certain how far in advance she sees."

"Frigga and some of our more powerful Seers have had visions dating clear through to Ragnarök, which we hope is yet thousands of years in the future. I am certain that is the case," Haakun told them. "Loki, every time you would become enamored of a girl, your mother would insist that it would amount to nothing; that the girl in question was not meant to be yours. She was ecstatic when she met Kara and saw what she could do and realized you cared for her. The All-Father and I got no rest that night devising a plan wherein the two of you could be wed."

"Was my sentence then a foregone conclusion?" Loki sounded as annoyed as she felt.

"If it was, someone is going to feel my foot connecting with their ass," Kara muttered. "Going through that mess was agonizing."

Haakun grinned. "No. If Loki had not been so well spoken of by the Avengers, and the truth revealed, the sentence, I'm afraid, would have been torture or death. We were counting on your friends, based on the information they'd passed on to Heimdall, to convince the rest of the Tribunal that a lighter sentence would be just."

"Your asses are safe, then." Kara threw Haakun a glare when he chuckled. "He thinks I'm kidding, Loki."

"No, Kara, he does not. He is merely appreciating your rather aggressive response to all of this. It is fully appropriate for a future Æsir goddess, particularly a goddess of such a volatile element as fire."

"Exactly, though please, do not specifically and directly threaten the All-Father again. It truly cannot be done with impunity now that you are officially a citizen of Asgard. Odin would abhor being forced to punish the woman who brought his son safely back to him in any manner, but would not be able to excuse the offence."

"I'll try. But he's really good at pissing me off."

This time it was her husband who laughed. "Kara, almost everyone is good at, ah, pissing you off. Your temper is worse than mine and that is saying something."

"I have an excuse; I'm a redhead."

"Yes, yes, I know: Don't piss off the redhead. Haakun? Why did I marry a termagant?"

"She was the only female able to keep you in line, my prince."

"Hmm. You're right, though she does it with love and soft words rather than her temper." Kara smiled even as she felt her eyes tearing up. "Oh by Yggdrasill, have I done it again?"

"Yes," she told him, pressing her face against his shoulder. "Again."

She focused on calming herself while Loki soothingly stroked her hair. "What did you need, Haakun?" he asked.

"To advise you that I will be leaving in the morning for this continent's eastern coast. Dr. Nassar has arranged for a meeting first with this country's leader and then with a committee from Midgard's council…I believe they call it the United Nations."

Kara lifted her face. "It's more a diplomatic group that makes recommendations to the leaders of the individual nations than a council. But yes, that is a group you'll need to speak to, eventually."

"Are you taking anyone with you?" Loki wanted to know.

"Prince Nyvorlas will accompany me. He feels Princess Kara's progress is sufficient that he will be no further help after the exercises you've scheduled for late this afternoon. Captain Rogers has offered to provide security, along with Mr. Stark. The remainder of your team and both Hogun and Sif will remain with you."

"Tony has a lot of business things to catch up on," Kara told them. "Pepper needs him to talk to Stark Industries' Board of Directors. She may be the new C.E.O., but he is still the majority stockholder and their biggest asset."

"Good, I won't have to suffer his insolence for a time."

"Loki, be nice."

"I am being nice. I haven't retaliated…much."

"Oh, no. What did you do?"

He smirked. "You'll know soon enough." She glared at him until he laughed outright. "Oh, leave off. It will do him no harm, darling."

"Crap. It's just occurred to me that I'm going to be on edge wondering just what mischief you'll pull next for the rest of a very long life."

"It keeps life interesting," he said with a shrug.

Haakun was smiling, fortunately. "That, my lord, depends upon your definition of interesting. Casting an illusion upon Gungnir to make it appear to be a shepherd's crook was more disrespectful than interesting."

"Rubbish. It was a commentary on how the nobility follow Odin blindly rather than questioning that which needs to be questioned." His grin was smug. "And it was funny; even Heimdall smiled."

… …

"I'm so glad you're going back to New York with us," Beth said as she ran her fingers down the side of his face, then along his neck and across his bare shoulder. His tee shirt was neatly folded on the lid of their picnic basket.

Steve smiled up at her. "I will be on duty, you know. I'm going to be flying down to D.C. with Councilor Haakun and then I'll have to go to the U.N. with him." They were enjoying their picnic in the shade of a pop up tent they'd set beside a group of some kind of cactus type plants Beth had called 'Yucca'. Beth was sitting with her back against the cooler he'd hefted the short distance from the encampment and he was lying stretched out on the blanket with his head in her lap. It was really nice; she'd called it romantic.

"I know, but at least we're on the same planet…and will be in the same city most of the time. You'll get some time off while you're in New York, won't you?"

"Sure. And I'll see you in Avengers' Tower." He stared up at her somewhat wistful expression. "And my first night off, we'll go out on the town. Maybe Jarvis can get us show tickets and dinner reservations at a nice place."

A sunny smile emerged. "That would be wonderful. I haven't been to a show in a long time." Her nose scrunched. "Probably hasn't been so long as it has for you, though."

He chuckled. "That's the truth. I haven't been to much more than a movie matinee since, well, before."

"Before?"

"Since before I became Captain America. Since I was…um, a lot different than I am now."

"My dad said you were an average guy they did experiments on, and the experiments are what made you so strong."

He sat up and stared off into the desert, his shoulders hunched, and tried not to flinch when she stroked her hand over the muscles in his back. "Your dad was right, except I was less than average. I was the original ninety-eight pound weakling. Well, I weighed more than that, but not an awful lot more."

"You're wrong, and so was dad." She moved to settle on her knees in front of him and draped her arms around his neck to press her nose lightly against his. "You were never average, let alone less than average. You have heart, Steve Rogers. You have integrity, and you have a strong, compassionate soul. You were _always_ a great man. The only thing those experiments did was give you physical strength to match your strength of character."

"Do you really think so?"

"Nope, I know so. Maybe it's too soon to tell you this, I don't want to scare you off, but I love you. I love _Steve_, the kind, wonderful man that you are, not Captain America, the big hero. There wouldn't be a Captain America without the man named Steve. You're so much more than the muscles, so much more than the symbol. You're…special; really, seriously, special."

He could feel his eyes getting wet. It was kind of embarrassing, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Beth got it. She really did. Before, only Peg had understood. Peg had picked him out of everyone else because of something she saw inside of him. He'd lost any chance with Peg because of Red Skull and that rotten tesseract, but he had a new chance for a good life with a good woman. And that woman was Beth. He smiled, silently thanking God for the opportunity. "I'm not scared, Beth. I love you too."

… …

Loki sat on a rock a few feet away from where Nyvorlas and Kara sat facing each other on the hard dry ground. He'd insisted she sit. If she were not able to block the reflection of her power, he didn't want her falling from a standing position. While bruises healed far more quickly than they did before, he'd rather have her not bruised at all. "Don't project anything you find too traumatizing," he advised. "Perhaps you should do joy. That would be safe."

She turned and stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I'm supposed to be shielding from an assault, Loki. If it's a nice projection, I won't have any motivation to block it."

"Fine," he huffed. "Do what you want, you will regardless."

"It's better that she give it her all here and now under controlled circumstances and when you are here to care for her if things go amiss," Nyvorlas reminded him.

Loki sighed. "You're right. I suppose I'm being overprotective."

"It's your job to be overprotective, hon. That's a privilege of being my husband." He smiled at Kara's attempt to make him feel better. "I'm glad you're here for this. I'll need you if my shielding isn't as good as we expect."

"I know, Kara. Go ahead, I'll be quiet and let you get on with it."

She nodded and turned back to the Ljósálfar prince. "Ready?" she asked. When he nodded, Kara closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them the bits of gold and silver that accented the predominant blue and green seemed to glow. Loki looked at Nyvorlas in time to see an energy disturbance hit the mirror ward. As they'd designed, the energy bounced off of it. A veritable tsunami of terror crashed over him and despite knowing what it was and where it came from he found himself sliding off the rock to sprawl on the desert floor. "Loki!" was the last thing he heard before he lost his grasp on unwillingly terrified consciousness.

"Loki?" a male voice penetrated the fog surrounding his brain. "Come on, pull yourself out of it." His beleaguered mind identified the voice as belonging to Nyvorlas. "Open your eyes and look at me," the Ljósálfar insisted, his tone growing hard.

He blinked and struggled to focus. "Did it bounce randomly?" he thought to ask.

Nyvorlas' expression was perplexed. "No, worse. Or better, I suppose." He held out a hand and Loki accepted the assistance to pull himself upright.

"In what way?" he asked, looking around.

Kara was kneeling on his other side, wearing a smug grin. "It bounced off of your ward all right," she told him. "But it also bounced off of my shields!"

A chuckle escaped as he grinned at his lady's pride in her accomplishment. "Hmm, then I think we're done here."

… …

"So if you've been out of the game for years because of your other, how come you're so damn good at this?" Darcy asked as she recovered from a bone melting orgasm.

"Natural talent." She snorted at Bruce's nonchalant tone. "No? Okay, I read everything I can find on practically every subject. Surprisingly, much of what I read on sexual techniques seems to work."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. For example…" he tugged her onto her back and then moved between her legs and gently pushed them apart, up and back until her labia was exposed to the cool air coming through the vent. "If I do this…" he trailed off again as he leaned in and began first sucking on her clit and then rapidly rubbing it with a forefinger. The pressure built within her and she began to shudder as the fine muscles clenched. Mere moments later she began to spasm and her ejaculation spurted into the air.

"Oh my God!" she yelled. She'd squirted before…or gushed really, but that was the first time she'd done it that hard or straight up like that. It looked like something out of a porn film. Bruce was grinning at her, some of it had splashed in his face. Fortunately he was one of those men who loved squirting, knew what it was medically, and also knew it meant something special that he could make her come that hard. "You learned that from reading?"

"Among other things."

"Holy crap. I'm reading the wrong books." He climbed to his knees and she discovered another benefit to this particular trick…he was rock hard again and ready for her. "Oh, wow. I love your dedication to knowledge."

"Nice to have some practical use for it," he agreed as he eased into her.

"Practical. Nice? Oh, _hell_ to the no. If you're taking off to another planet and leaving me here high and dry for a while, you'd better be making this nasty."

"As you wish."

… …

Sif barely suppressed a moan of pleasure as she pulled her fork from her mouth. These 'spaghetti' noodles in the tomato sauce were excellent. The herbs and spices exploded with flavor on her tongue. Chewing, she twirled her fork as Lady Pepper had demonstrated to claim another bite of the sauce drenched goodness. "Enjoying your meal?" a breathy tenor voice asked.

Her eyes shot open as Prince Nyvorlas took the seat across from hers, totally unbidden. Of course, it was a public dining area, and no rank was recognized, so he had no obligation to ask permission. Still, it was irritating. "Yes, very much so. I have not had Midgardian cuisine in this century." If she were honest with herself, much of her irritation arose from the bet she'd made with the Ljósálfar. Loki was seemingly getting along well with all of the Avengers, even the terribly irritating man of iron. She was starting to have some doubts about her prediction.

Nyvorlas nodded and took a bite of what she'd been told was 'garlic bread'. His eyes widened as the sharpness of the spice contrasting with the cheese melted into the toasted bread's surface filled his mouth. "Hmm," he said after he'd swallowed. "The spicing seems heavy handed, but I must admit it is interesting." He helped himself to a forkful of the greens that had been tossed with an herbed dressing the food servers had called 'Italian'. "Oh, very nice indeed."

Sif grinned at his unabashed enjoyment. Hogun, who sat at the other end of the table, had taken a few bites, stared at the food for a bit, and then had wolfed down the remainder of his meal and returned to the serving area for more all without comment or other indication of enjoyment. Fandral, when she'd shared good meals with him, tended to wax lyrical about the offerings, which was somehow even more irksome. She refused to even think about eating with Volstagg…it was an experience best forgotten or ignored. "Does the food make your trip here worthwhile, your highness?" she asked.

His pale eyes narrowed. "Many things have made my trip here worthwhile. But yes, I am highly enjoying the sheer variety of foodstuffs and preparation methods. Tony Stark tells me that New York City offers an endless variety of cuisine and has offered to introduce me to some of it. It is something to look forward to while being paraded around as an inducement to listening to what Asgard has to say to this realm."

"Just don't agree to go eat shwarma with him." They looked up to see Captain Rogers walk by with the healer in training he kept company with. "It's pretty awful. Thor liked it, but he likes pretty much anything."

"I liked it," the one who turned large and green commented quietly from behind them. "It was tasty."

"Okay, gentleman," Natasha interjected turning around from her seat behind the Ljósálfar. "Let's agree that it had mixed reviews." When Banner shrugged and continued on his way the woman leaned forward and said quietly, "Most of those reviews were poor. Seriously. I've eaten military rations that I've enjoyed more. If Stark does succeed in dragging you to the shwarma place, order the gyro or a kebob instead."

"Shwarma isn't bad," the healer…oh, of course, her name was Beth, said. "But there are a lot of foods that are awesome, so don't waste your time. I can make you a list of things you really don't want to miss and where the best places are to have them. I've been living in the city for seven years now, and I love food, so I'm pretty well up on the subject, despite being a mostly broke student."

"That would be appreciated, my lady," Nyvorlas said kindly.

"And maybe you could see some movies," Beth continued.

"Fandral mentioned movies," Sif said. "They sounded fascinating. A bard's tale brought to life by gifted mummers. I wouldn't mind seeing some of those myself."

"Then perhaps you should stay, Sif." They all turned as Loki arrived with his lady in tow. "I shall have four of the Avengers, plus the Warrior's Three with me in Jötunheim. You might better serve Asgard by showing the people of Midgard that we value females in all aspects of life, including war craft."

"Trying to rid yourself of me?" she asked, suspicious of his motives.

The trickster's smile was charming. "Of course, that was my first thought upon arising today. What excuse could I find to separate myself from the Lady Sif so soon after she's finally learned that I intended her no harm all those years ago and is treating me without contempt for the first time in centuries."

She flushed. "I didn't mean to imply…"

"Yes, you did. But I deserved it. It's your choice, truly. I only offer you the option. Every good sword on my trip to my half-brothers' realm is appreciated. But you could well do Asgard's cause good by remaining. I give you the choice, and I will defend that choice with the All-Father, whichever it may be."

Sif stared at the man she had quietly hated for centuries. It all fell into place in her mind; the endless give and take of insults, the resentment, the behavior skirting the very edges of dishonor on both sides. It was all pointless. He really had not meant her harm, but had no defense against her anger because her great loss was his fault. And because of his reputation, and with the encouragement of her peers, she had never once listened to an apology or asked for an explanation. In her own way, she was even worse than he. And really, his lady was right; hadn't she gained in the long run. She looked up and met his wary eyes. "Apology accepted…my prince." His eyes widened at her use of the courteous address she had denied him since his prank had gone so wrong. "I think I would like to stay."

Loki's smile was small and tentative. "I shall clear it with Haakun and with the Midgard authorities. Oh, and have Stark teach you how to play HALO. When you visit us later in Avengers' Tower you should bring Hogun and Fandral and we shall have a tournament and team up to beat them soundly at it."

… …

Pepper leaned back on the small mound they had made of their pillows. "You really are making up for lost time," she said with a soft laugh.

"Yes, well, I needed to remind you why you adore me."

"Adore? No, love yes…I adore chocolate. I adore bubbly. You, I love. Totally different and it has nothing to do with the sex."

"Damn. I wasted all of that effort."

"Oh, no, not wasted at all. Just because I love you doesn't mean you get a free ride."

He grinned. One of the things he loved most about Virginia Pepper Potts was her ability to banter. Life without banter would be boring as all hell. Which was probably why he drank more when they were on the outs; the socialites and such he picked up at parties couldn't banter worth a damn. Frequent sex didn't make up for it at all. "Free? I don't call this ride free. I mean, you're the highest paid CEO in the industry, and that rock wasn't cheap," he said nodding at her engagement ring.

"Are you trying to get into trouble?"

"Um. Noooo; but I bet I'm succeeding."

"You are. Care to get back out of trouble, or should I go bunk with Beth since Darcy moved her things to Bruce's room."

"Eww. I didn't need to know that. Isn't he old enough to be her father?"

"I'm not sure how old Bruce is, but you're definitely old enough."

"Ouch. I'm wounded." At her annoyed expression he schooled his features into a contrite mask. "Okay, how do I get out of trouble."

"You go catch Loki before he goes to bed, and you talk to him about proposing to Kara in some romantic setting."

"Uh, Pep? They're already married."

"I know that, but he never got a chance to propose. She'd love that. When they get back, you can take him to Tiffany's to get her a nice engagement ring, and then set them up somewhere romantic so he can officially propose to her and she can accept. Then I can start planning an Earth-style wedding for them."

He sighed deeply. "Okay, I guess I can do that."

"Good, then you're out of trouble. Run along, find Loki, and I'll be waiting for you. Just like this." She lounged back in a provocative pose and smiled as he grinned, threw on some clothes and hurried out the door .

… …


	47. Chapter 47

Loki stared pensively at his lady as she brushed out her fire-hued hair. He'd been thinking about Stark's suggestion every waking minute since the man had caught him alone late the previous night. "Kara," he began, then waited until she'd placed the brush back in her bag of toiletry items. "Tony offered to provide a trip for us when we return, and to clear it with Fury. Where would you like to go?"

"A honeymoon?" she asked, her face brightening. He nodded. "Hmm. Either Paris or Hawaii. No, this time of year, definitely Hawaii. Paris would be too cold. Maybe one of the really exclusive resorts on one of the outer islands?"

"I'll ask him to look into it." He smiled as she hugged him enthusiastically.

"That would be wonderful. Even if we missed out on everything else, it'll be great to have a honeymoon."

"I hate that you haven't had the joy of having all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding a wedding," Loki told her, still not sure if Stark's idea for them to have a wedding on Midgard would be something she'd want.

"I'm not really thrilled about missing out on that part of it, but it's okay, at least we're married." Loki noted the wistful tone in her voice. "Maybe someday, on our anniversary, we can have a vow renewal ceremony. That would be nice."

"Anything you wish, my love." Yes, he'd definitely give Stark the go-ahead on this; it was an excellent idea. It almost made him regret the prank that the man would trigger later this morning. Almost.

… …

Tony walked away from Loki with a distinct feeling of unease. Something was up. He'd called him Bambi, Rudolph, Babe (for Paul Bunyan's ox), and several ice-related nicknames in the past few days and the god hadn't so much as blinked. He'd just got done calling him the old classic, Reindeer Games, and Loki had done nothing more than smile. He was up to something, Tony would bet every last share of Stark Industries he owned on it. "Hey, Pepper. I just got the go-ahead for Plan B from Loki. I'll call Tiffany's to make an appointment for when they're due back. You can start feeling out Nassar and Haakun on the flight to New York."

"Plan B? Why are you calling it Plan B?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "B for Bridal?"

"Oh, of course. Well, good job, you didn't even procrastinate. I'm impressed." Her eyes were sparkling; she really was pleased with him. As well she should be. This was totally something he was doing for someone else's happiness. Just because he was a philanthropist didn't mean he was often personally altruistic.

"Yes, well, that's me, Mr. Impressive." Tony grinned as she pretended to choke. "Aw, come on, Pep. I did good."

"You did. Aren't you flying with us?"

"No, I'm going to fly home on my own. Now that Jarvis has access to his full processing capabilities we're working on analyzing the power the Asgardians used to charge up the suit while I was there. I'm thinking it will give me a way to improve the efficiency of the Arc Reactor technology. The best way to analyze it is while it's in use, so that means flying back."

"Okay. I'll probably have an easier time working with Dr. Nassar and Councilor Haakun without your snarky asides anyway."

It was true; particularly since he was still pissed about Nassar not only being on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Council of Regents, but being its goddamned Chairman. Kara had let it go a lot easier than the rest of them combined. "I can't argue that. So, I'll see you in New York, gorgeous." He caught her in a hard embrace and a thorough kiss; then headed outside to suit up. "Jarvis, get the Mark IX ready, we're heading home."

"Yes sir," the AI responded.

Tony stepped out into the glaring sunshine and held out his arms. A moment later the shell of the Mark IX folded itself around him and the servos locked it in place. Why the hell did his nose itch? Or for that matter, his back and…other parts. Looking down he saw bits of…straw? How the fuck did straw get into his goddamn suit? "J, what happened to my suit?" he asked mildly.

"Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word…" the AI warbled.

"**_LO-KI_**!"

… …

Kara frowned as Tony's amplified and aggrieved voice carried through the building to the dining hall. She turned to glare at Loki in time to see him doubling over in laughter. "What did you do?" she asked as sternly as she could manage. Her lips were twitching just from watching her husband's amusement. The feeling she was getting from him when she cautiously lowered her shields was good natured fun, not maliciousness, so she wasn't too worried about Tony; but boy was she curious.

"He's been calling me various deer and cattle related names, Kara, I thought if he wished to play with animals, he should be penned in like one with some nice comfortable straw for fodder."

"Huh?"

He gave her a patient look. "I stuffed his suit with straw and programmed Jarvis to sing some appropriate old ballad once Tony said the word 'home'," he explained.

"Oh, Loki. That's…which song?"

"I believe the one Jarvis selected is called 'Home on the Range'."

She covered her face with her palms. "Oh dear god. 'Where the deer and the antelope play'. Okay, that is _very _funny."

"And, as promised, does no lasting harm."

"There is that. Did you use magic to do it?"

"Mmm, not really." She frowned at his hedging answer. "Perhaps a smidge just for the trigger portion of it while I had it back for combat practice."

Sighing, Kara shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?" He opened his mouth to answer and she held up a hand to stop him. "That was a rhetorical question. Look, you can prank people with harmless or more or less harmless stuff. But no more doing or triggering it with magic or you'll get us both in trouble. I'll pretend I knew you'd used it for this and it was practice, but never again until Odin decides to relent on the magic binding."

Loki sighed deeply and gave her a long-suffering look. "Kara, I'm not a…"

"You _really _don't want me to respond to that, so don't finish saying it," she advised.

"What the actual fuck, Loki!" Tony griped as he stomped into the dining hall. The suit's visor was up and pieces of straw were sticking up around Tony's neck. "You could at least let Jarvis unlock the damn suit so I can get this shit out of here."

Loki's mouth was twitching. "It will unlock once you reach New York," he told the beleaguered genius. "Consider it your penance for all of the deer related snark."

"Goddamn it. I do not want to fly all the way home itch…"

"Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope…" Jarvis sang again as more straw poked out of the visor opening. Kara's backside hit the ground as she literally fell off of her seat laughing.

… …

Natasha watched as Sif, Nyvorlas and Haakun hesitantly boarded the S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, already asking Steve and the civilians questions about everything they saw. "I hope they've got a patient pilot," she murmured to Clint.

"I'd almost rather ride with Thor. It would be easier to watch him glower at the tech like it's some kind of enemy."

She concurred. "Do we need to get the arctic gear on before we leave?" she asked.

"You do not." They turned as Loki and Kara came up behind them. "We'll be going to Asgard first and staying the night, at least. You'll have a chance to see the Valhöll and a bit of the city before we leave for Jötunheim, Natasha." He tilted his head with a contemplating look. "Whether we spend more than one night there depends on the All-Father. If he is well-rested, it will be just the one night. Otherwise, it might behoove us to wait until he is well rested. I would not want to run into problems when he is unable to step in."

"Are you anticipating problems?"

Loki's smile was predatory. "I always anticipate problems; it's why I still live. That said, we have been guaranteed safe passage; but while I would like to be able to trust my half-brothers, I do not."

"We'll have what they want most," Kara agreed. "That is a hell of a lot of temptation. I think I'd trust Helblindi, if it was just him, but I didn't get the impression that he has full control yet."

"Nor did I; else he would not have been so insistent that I publicly renounce my claim on their throne."

"Your claim?" Natasha asked. "_You_ have a claim on the Jötunn throne?"

"I am the eldest child of the late Jötnar king, Laufey. And as is apparently traditional there, I killed him in single combat. By all rights, the throne of Jötunheim is mine."

"So why aren't you claiming it and becoming a king? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"While the cold doesn't bother me so much as it does a full-blood Æsir, it's certainly not my favorite climate. And I appreciate elegance; there is nothing elegant about Jötunheim. I do not agree with your Milton's character of Satan. I would far rather serve as Thor's advisor in Asgard than reign in Jötunheim."

Natasha frowned. "If that's even an option at this point."

"It is. Once I have served my sentence here, or perhaps even while I am serving it, Odin intends me to train as such. He has agreed that he will not step down until I am ready to stand as one of Thor's advisors, likely in concert with Haakun at first, then later as his first advisor as Haakun now serves Odin."

Definitely not what she was expecting, even after Clint had privately briefed her on what he had learned in Asgard. But then, Clint wasn't good at seeing the emotional sides of decisions. Apparently Odin loved both sons; the blood son and the adopted one. That could only benefit Earth. "I see. If that's what you wanted, congratulations."

Loki nodded. "Thank you."

… …

Kara watched Hogun and Bruce come out of the portable building, each carrying a pack. "Our ride hasn't arrived yet," she told them. It was too bad they couldn't have kept the tesseract there. But with Odin's gate being right there, it would have been a temptation and opportunity their enemy could not have ignored.

"No, but we thought it would be a good idea for everyone to get their things ready. We can put it all in the workshop now that Tony's cleared out," Bruce responded.

"You don't have all of your things ready. The Quinjet that picked up the others just dropped off our arctic gear. We've got to make sure it fits before we pack it."

"I'd forgotten. Not a problem, I can add mine in later."

She nodded. "Hogun, Nick had extra brought in if you'd like to try some out. They also had Fandral's size on record, so we can take a set for him, too, if you think he'd want it."

"I'll try it," he agreed.

The crate was sitting open near the building that had been designated for supplies. Kara motioned to them to follow her and then dug in to the crate, looked at the packages inside and then began handing them out. "Bruce, here's yours."

He smiled as he took the bundle and shook his head slightly. "It seems strange to have armor when I don't really need it and even stranger to expect to be able to keep it in one piece."

"Magic and science combined. Best of both worlds…literally. Well, it looks like they got the sizes and quantity right, let's go try them on to be sure."

"What about Loki?" Natasha asked.

"Did you not see the footage from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Loki asked the assassin.

"When you changed your form? Yes. But…"

"My Jötunn half is fairly impervious to cold. I need no protection from it."

"But it's not just protection from cold; it's body armor as well."

He shrugged. "They will respect me more if I do not cover up. Also, they will wish to see my clan markings, or so my half-brother has advised me. I'll be bare from the waist up while we are there."

"Sounds a bit barbaric."

His disgusted expression said it all. "It is."

… …

The other men and Natasha were amusing themselves with target practice. They'd discussed the appropriate distance to each of their targets based on the range of each one's weapon of choice and then had begun an impromptu competition. Much to everyone's surprise but their friends from Asgard, Loki was winning. Bruce shook his head as yet another knife thudded home in exactly the called spot. Loki grinned and pushed back the long black hair that the heat had wilted into his face. "Kara, would that mousse of yours hold my hair back even in this heat?" he asked.

She frowned. "I don't know. I've never had the need to find out."

"Hmm." The god's eyebrows rose as Natasha sauntered over to him. "Yes?" he asked as she stared up with a slight smirk.

"Try this," she said and held out her hand.

Loki took something small from her, played with it briefly, and then used what turned out to be a black elastic hair tie to pull his hair into a tail. "Thank you; that should help."

"They've got a myriad of uses; I always carry a few around. You might want to consider it," Natasha told him.

"I'll take it under advisement."

Bruce had to laugh at Loki's dry response. "Sorry," he mumbled when the god turned a green-eyed glare his way. "But you really have to hear yourself to appreciate how funny that was."

"I'm certain." Loki sighed and stared off into the distance. "It's taking too long. That doesn't bode well for Odin being rested."

"What does that have to do with it," Kara asked. "Won't they use the tesseract to come get us?"

"Yes, but if Odin had to enter the Odinsleep, then Thor may not be able to leave quickly, if at all. In that case, he'd have to send Fandral or Volstagg as only they have any recent acquaintance with this part of Midgard."

"Oh." She stood. "Well, I'm not going to sit out here in the heat waiting around. We've got nice cool air going to waste inside. Nat, you want to join me in pestering Nick and Jasper?"

"You're going to give Agent Sitwell a complex," Natasha responded.

Kara shrugged. "He intentionally ordered a different chair from the one I wanted for my office three times. It may not be quick, but karma is a bitch."

"I think I'll join you," Bruce decided. "I've found I make Sitwell a bit nervous."

"Woot! Operation Karma is a go," Kara laughed.

… …

Lunch. It was an odd word, Hogun thought. Though he'd spent weeks with the Avengers, and the word was used daily, it still felt wrong. Many of the words in the different mortal languages were strange, both on the tongue and on the ear; or, in the case of visiting Æsir, in the mind. The magic Odin gifted them with to understand and be understood did not always clearly translate. The colloquialisms were the worst, of course. The words and intent were often so different as to be incomprehensible. That was why they tried to learn the local language as quickly as possible rather than depend on the magic long term. He glowered at Loki and the prince sighed. "What have I done to earn your ire now, Hogun?" he asked.

His mouth quirked. "Learned English so quickly."

Loki's jaw dropped. "What has that…never mind. It was not quickly, I've been studying it for years. How many times did I tell all of you that Midgard was once again becoming important to us and that we needed to be ready to deal with its inhabitants?"

"Repeatedly," Hogun admitted.

"Then you should not hold it amiss that _I,_ at least, am prepared."

He laughed quietly, enjoying the fact that Loki felt comfortable chastising him without giving him an uneasy look. It said volumes about how much their relationship had improved. A low rumbling shook the building as he took another bite of the hearty 'stew' that had been served. He looked back at Loki who was staring toward the door with an annoyed frown. "Thor?" Hogun asked him.

"No doubt; he's not one for subtlety." Loki stood and carried his tray over to the disposal area. "Though he might actually have thought it out this time and chose to use Mjölnir to travel the hidden paths instead of using the cube and drawing the attention of the Mad Titan."

Hogun snorted as they met each other's eyes. "No," they said simultaneously.

… …

Fury frowned as a rumble of thunder shook the building. He pulled up the weather report; as he thought, no storms were predicted. Hopefully that meant Thor had arrived and would be taking his brother and sister-in-law off of their hands; at least for the time being. He was not looking forward to the fallout from Nassar's upcoming meetings to arrange Loki's permanent, so far as their lifetime was concerned, return to Earth. Not to mention Dr. Gunnarssen's change in status. "Shit," he muttered, his eye drifting closed. Not only would he have to deal with a possibly still crazy Norse god, but with a formerly mortal woman who could produce the equivalent of a pinpoint nuclear explosion, without the fallout, at will. Oh, yeah, and these two very volatile personalities were married to each other. "God damn it. I seriously need to consider retiring."

"Director, Thor has arrived," Sitwell said as he stuck his shaved head in the door.

"I think we're all aware of that, agent," he told the man dryly as he pushed his chair back and stood. "Let's just hope he hasn't brought us another intergalactic crisis."

"To be fair, sir, Loki brought the last one."

He glared at the man. "The point being, Agent Sitwell, that we do not need another one, regardless of which pain in my ass is bringing it. Am I clear?"

"CFB, sir."

"Director Fury's backside is paining him?" a deep voice asked in the corridor.

"Uh, not really, Thor. That's a figure of speech," Sitwell replied as he stepped away from the door to be replaced by the overly muscular Asgardian.

"I see. Thank you for clarifying." Thor's blonde mane had grown longer and the top of it was drawn back in a braid at the back of his head though a great deal still hung down at the sides. "It is good to see you, Nick Fury. I truly did not expect such a large complex to have been built here to assist my brother and new sister. I thank you."

Nick struggled not to sigh out loud. "Just don't make the necessity of it a habit."

The god grinned. "It should not be. Tony Stark has offered them a place in his tower…though I hear that will now be given over to the Avengers for their headquarters. He is a generous man."

"He's getting a hell of a tax break." Thor's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Never mind. Let's go find your brother."

"You seem distressed, friend Nick. Has Loki caused difficulties?" he was asked as they headed for the building's exit.

Nick thought about it. Other than the fact that he was _there_, Loki had been…actually helpful. Just admitting it was galling. "No. Keeping all of this off of the radar was the only difficulty." Thor's forehead wrinkled again. "We had to keep it out of the media so that we didn't have civilians running around, taking photographs and possibly getting hurt."

"Ah. Yes, I have heard of your paparazzi; annoying creatures to be sure. Thank you for protecting my family from them." Thor was silent, but only for a minute. "So Loki has not caused problems?"

"Were you expecting him to?"

"Not as such, but I feared he might have difficulty adjusting. He is used to the life of royalty. I assume he does not have such here."

Nick decided that both of the poor bastards deserved a break from his annoyance. "He did fine, Thor. He helped out with the cooling system, treated the staff politely, and only got aggravated when my people screwed up and endangered everyone."

"And he saved lives," Natasha Romanov snapped. Nick sighed aloud this time. He hadn't noticed the assassin leaning against the building in the shade just outside the exit.

"Yes," Nick agreed. "That was associated with the screw up I mentioned." Thor was grinning ear to ear, positively beaming. He almost preferred Loki's sneer. Nick almost gagged at that unwelcome realization. "He worked very well with the team to ensure everyone was safe."

"That is wonderful news indeed. Our parents shall be overjoyed to hear it."

… ...

"Loki and Hogun just headed out to the gate area looking for you," Natasha told the huge blonde. "Kara is in the lab with Dr. Banner."

Thor hesitated for a moment. "I should go meet my brother," he decided and headed out into the desert.

Natasha opted to track down Clint on whatever perch he'd found. "I'll let the others know you're here." She turned to Fury and Sitwell. "Jasper, can you duck into the lab and tell the docs that Thor's here? They're probably hip-deep in data and haven't noticed."

He grinned. "Sure thing, Nat." His smile faded suddenly. "Uh, if that's okay, director?"

"Go," Fury agreed and turned on his heel to reenter the building.

Natasha smirked and went Hawk hunting. Considering how few places there were for his 'nest', it took a while. She finally discovered that he'd climbed the rolling stairs to one of the water tanks and then had leapt tank to tank until he'd reached the residential portable. He had to have seen Thor, either coming in or going back out again, yet he still sat up there, staring out into the distance. "Coming down anytime soon?" she called up to him.

Clint looked down at her and grimaced. "Knowing how well those two communicate, it could be hours yet before we're ready to go."

This was true. "Still, I could use a hand. We need to make sure we've left nothing belonging to the team behind that we don't want S.H.I.E.L.D. to have." He stared at her for a full minute and then nodded. He pulled an anchor and line from a side pocket of his quiver, attached them, and slid down the side of the building. A quick tug loosened the anchor and he retracted the line and replaced both in the quiver. The entire process took just under a minute. "Nice," she told him and he grinned at the compliment. "Let's do a building by building sweep and then the training area."

"Tandem?"

"Yes, two pair of eyes miss less."

… …

Loki stopped halfway to the area that held the permanent gate marker and stared at the tracks on the ground. "I'm not certain how we missed him, but we did." They turned and headed back to the temporary base. As they topped a rise, they could see Thor trotting out in their direction.

He grinned when he saw them. "Brother! Hogun! It is good to see you both." Loki grimaced as Thor reached them and pulled him into one of his exuberant hugs. "I spoke to Nick Fury; he had nothing but compliments concerning you."

Interesting; that must have cost the good director dearly. Loki fought the smirk and managed a humble smile, casting his eyes down modestly. "I did my best to honor the terms of my being here," he said in a soft voice. He glanced up as Hogun headed back to the complex, leaving them alone.

Thor's expression turned serious. "I had no doubt you would, my brother. Natasha Romanov tells me you have saved the lives of our friends. That also heartened me."

"Don't make more of it than it was, Thor. They were next to me when _my _life was in danger."

"Of course they were," the maddening oaf said with a grin.

Loki pushed past him and continued back to the structures. "They were quite fortunate that I chose to shield myself rather than simply teleport myself out from under the falling debris."

"Loki," Thor said reproachfully. He turned at the sound. His adopted brother was frowning at him. "Why is it so difficult to admit that your instincts prompted you to save our friends? Do you wish us all to think badly of you? We would hold you in the honor you clearly deserve."

He shook his head. Thor didn't understand…couldn't understand. "I am not made of the stuff of heroes, Thor. I am not _you_. You know what's prophesied. I am to bring about Ragnarök and I am to be the downfall of the gods. It is best none of you learn to trust me."

"My brother, Ragnarök will come will you or nil you; it will not be brought _by_ you. And yes, if you stand against us, you will destroy us. But do you not see? That will come to pass only _if_ you stand against us. If you stand with us, we will triumph and those you love will survive." He snorted and tried to walk away, only to have Thor block his path. "Loki, you are my brother and you hold my heart. I will never not love you and I will always give you the benefit of any doubt. If that means you will destroy all of us, then perhaps it is our time to die."

Loki furiously fought the tears that filled his eyes. "And why must that be my responsibility, _brother_," he hissed.

He stiffened as Thor wrapped his arms around him and held him close. "I wish I could take that burden from you, Loki. But you have always known you were meant for greatness. None born wholly to the Æsir have ever had your potential for power, you know this. Odin suspects your power will grow greater yet as the centuries pass. It is a great burden and one I do not envy you; being King of Asgard is a paltry responsibility next to this." Thor's arms tightened and the fingers of one large hand tangled in Loki's hair as he lost the battle against his tears. "Yet I vow to you, you will not face it alone. I will stand with you, our friends will stand with you and your lady will stand with you. When we stand together, nothing in the universe will defeat us."

… …

"Hogun, where are Thor and Loki?" Kara asked as the warrior approached the buildings.

He gestured toward the area that held the carving made several millennia ago by Odin. "Talking," was all he said.

"Oh, thanks. I'll just go and…" she trailed off as he held out a hand to bar her passage.

"Do not."

His cryptic comments could annoy the shit out of her if she let them. She took a deep breath. "Why not?"

"This is something you cannot help with," he said, surprising her with the sheer number of words that came out of his mouth at one time. She opened her mouth to retort and was surprised into closing it again when he continued. "Please…your highness."

Kara sighed. "It's really important, I take it." He nodded. She frowned and stared out over the rocky terrain and began to reach out with her expanded empathic senses.

"Don't," Hogun said. "Leave them be."

More than a dozen words from him in one conversation. It must be God-awful important. "Okay, Hogun. I'll trust your judgment." He bowed slightly and headed into the building. She sighed again and followed him in and found a place to sit where she could watch for their return.

It took over an hour but Loki and Thor finally trudged through the rocks. Thor had his arm slung over Loki's shoulder. Loki's arms were crossed over his chest, but he was listening to Thor with a thoughtful expression and was not making any attempt to draw away from his elder brother. That had to have been one hell of a talk. Thor finished whatever he was saying and clapped Loki's shoulder, gently, for him, then looked up. "Sister!" he bellowed, evidently spotting her through the glass.

She smiled and headed outside to greet him. "It's good to see you, Thor," she said, squeaking as he swept her off of her feet for a somewhat too exuberant hug.

"Easy, brother. She is not yet fully Æsir, her body is not yet strong enough for your embraces," Loki warned him.

"Ah, of course. I forget myself." Thor grinned and looked back at Loki. "As always, yes, I know." He turned back to her and frowned. "And you, my sister. Will you not honor me with the title of brother?"

"Uh, that's not really traditional here, but if it will make you happy, _brother_," she emphasized. "Then of course I will."

His grin was absolutely contagious. "Indeed it will. I fear we have dawdled long, but we had much to discuss. Shall we take a meal before we leave for Asgard? They will have a meal awaiting our arrival there, regardless of the hour."

She thought about the state of her stomach after her last trip. "Um, let's wait until we get there. I really don't want to be leaving a mess on the Bifröst." Shaking her head at his confusion she told him: "The last trip made me very nauseous."

"Ah, it does indeed affect many that way. Very well. Let us gather everyone and make our way home. Loki tells me that Hawkeye will return with us and that Natasha and Dr. Banner will come as well. I look forward to showing them our home." He frowned. "Why do you flinch when I say the word home?"

Kara totally lost it. She cracked up and was barely able to explain Loki's prank on Tony between fits of laughter. Finally, she finished the story and looked up to see Thor giving Loki an odd look. "But Tony totally deserved it, Thor."

Thor grinned. "I am certain, my sister. Loki, I'm glad to see you are in such fine form. I truly have missed your mischief."

"As I have missed doing it," Loki returned with a small smile of his own.

… …

"Is everyone ready?" Thor asked as he looked around. As before, Loki held one end of the device while he held the other. Loki had one arm wrapped firmly around Kara while she held on to Natasha Romanov. Thor had tucked Mjölnir in his belt and his free arm held both Banner and Barton. The two men looked vaguely embarrassed to be crushed together, but had understood when he'd explained that Kara now weighed more than either of them and adding Banner on to her weight would make the burden Loki carried far heavier than Thor's if he carried Barton and Natasha. Hogun stood behind them, hands firmly grasping his and Loki's innermost wrists. Hearing everyone confirm their readiness Thor looked over to where Nick Fury and Agent Sitwell stood watching. "If all goes well, they should return in two weeks or near enough. If it goes poorly, word will be sent so that none worry overmuch."

"You do that," Fury said. "I don't need Stark and Dr. Foster on my ass if you're overdue."

Thor grinned as he heard his sister laugh. "I think you need to worry more about Darcy," she called out.

"Darcy?" Thor asked. He remembered the girl, how could he forget the small female who had used a device that stunned him so thoroughly.

"Darcy," Banner confirmed. "I'll explain later."

"Very well." He looked to Loki who nodded, then turned the handle to activate the cube.

… …

**Author's Notes:** Plan B is underway! I know that will make many of you happy. Thanks again for all of the love…and we're off to Asgard! Hope you enjoyed Thor and Loki's heart to heart, I thought it was long overdue.


	48. Chapter 48

**Author's Notes:** I was apparently laughing too hard at Loki's prank on Tony when I proofed and posted Chapter 47 and I totally neglected to mention why the group did not have the tesseract with them on Midgard, and then when I sent them back to Asgard, I did not include Hogun in the group. My bad.

Fortunately for my peace of mind I discovered this error myself and went back and revised Chapter 47 online before my trusty readers could point it out to me. Phew! Much embarrassment averted! If you want to see how I handled the correction of those faux pas, go back and re-read Chapter 47. I wanted to get this note out there before you read this chapter, but I will have another note at the bottom!

Now…on to our regularly scheduled Chapter 48!

… …

The world disappeared in an unfortunately familiar flash of electric blue light. The nothingness pulled at her equilibrium and her stomach protested violently. Kara was so glad they hadn't eaten in the past few hours. She staggered as the Bifröst appeared beneath them, but managed to keep to her feet this time. Natasha was groaning in her arms; she set the other redhead down gently on the bridge and pushed her head between her knees. "Take deep breaths," she advised. "The nausea will pass in a minute or two." Hogun was helping Thor with Bruce and Clint while Loki held onto the Tesseract. She frowned and sent out a light projection of calm as she noticed how agitated the journey had made the scientist.

"Thanks, Kara," Bruce said quietly as the tenseness apparent in the set of his jaw eased. "I was about to lose it."

"That would be bad." She patted him absently on the shoulder as she looked around. Heimdall was standing, statue-like, his hands on the guard of his greatsword, those creepy eyes staring out into everything and everywhere. She grinned. "We're ba-ack. Did you miss us?" Loki choked back a laugh and shook his head with a grin. Thor stared at her, his mouth slightly agape.

"Asgard was not that same without you, your highness," the Guardian deadpanned. "I do not believe the crown received a single threat the entire span of your absence."

Kara laughed as she noted the twinkle in Heimdall's golden eyes. "Apparently everyone learned from my mistake. How is my father-in-law? I haven't had a chance to ask Thor."

"He is well, princess, and awaits you and your guests in the small dining hall. Prince Loki, welcome home," Heimdall greeted, turning his attention to her husband. "Will you introduce your new guests?"

"Thank you Heimdall. Yes, this gentleman is Dr. Bruce Banner, the Avenger who freed me from the Mad Titan. The lady is Natasha Romanov, known as The Black Widow. She is a skilled fighter and infiltrator, greatly respected by the organization that helped put the Avenger's team together."

"You are welcome, Lady Natasha, Dr. Banner. And welcome back to you, Lord Hawkeye. The All-Father and Lady Frigga will be well pleased by your return and to meet the rest of the team that has helped their sons."

Clint grinned. "We're glad they'll be able to, uh, enjoy Asgard's hospitality." Kara stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"So eloquent and so not like you."

She smiled as the archer flushed. "Well, Loki may have coached me."

Heimdall's chuckle rumbled about them. "You could do little better in a mentor when it comes to pretty speeches, my lord."

Thor was grinning as well. "There is a reason we call him Silvertongue," he agreed.

"Wait…it's because of how he talks? Huh, I thought…"

"Kara!" Loki scolded.

She gave him her best innocent look. "Yes?"

He sighed and turned her around to face the city. "You, my love, are in a rare mood." He leaned down to breathe in her ear: "Naughty girl."

"Don't pretend you don't love it," she murmured.

"Kara," he said in an equally soft voice. "I've already accepted I shall lose one of my titles to you, I'd rather not lose a second."

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "You won't. You will always be the best at mischief and the other aspects, too. I'm just in a weirdly giddy mood. I'm not sure what it is."

"You've come home, sister," Thor told her. "The very air is different in Asgard. Your body is now more Æsir than human and reacts accordingly; it revels in the feeling of being home."

She looked up at Loki who nodded. "He's right. Though it's not just the air, there is an energy in Asgard, in each of the realms, that resonates differently and welcomes those compatible with it." He shrugged. "I've never felt it as strongly connected here as my brother does, though now I know why. I felt the same connection, again, not strongly, when we followed Thor to Jötunheim, and now I understand that as well."

"Well, it's weird. You know I'm not usually this…way."

"I know. You'll become used to the feeling in time, and it will no longer affect you thus."

Clint snorted. "Good thing. I was going to ask Banner to check her out."

"Oh, come on. I'm not acting that off."

Natasha looked up from where she sat on the bridge, her face still pinched with nausea. "Yes, you are."

"Huh."

… …

Bruce frowned at the large horse they expected him to mount. He'd never been on a horse this big before. Actually, the last equine he'd been on had been a pony when he was a child. "This is not going to end well," he muttered to Hogun, who was holding the horse by its bridle.

Loki stepped close, shook his head and took hold of the…stirrup, that's what the thing was called. "All right; first, place your left hand on the base of your horse's mane and grab a good handful of it. Then place your left foot in the stirrup and place your right hand on the back of the cantle, that's the back edge of the saddle. You are going to push off, using the spring in your right leg and your momentum to propel yourself upright against the saddle so that you are standing, balancing on your left foot in the stirrup. Your hands should provide balance only, do not use them to pull yourself up. Once you are standing straight up with all of your weight in the left stirrup and your body resting against the horse's side, release your right hand from the cantle. You may place it on the horn if that makes you feel more secure. Then swing your right leg over the horse's back and _gently_ lower yourself into the saddle and slide your right foot into the right stirrup. Got it?"

"Got it, I think." There was definitely no way this was going to end well, Bruce thought. He sighed and tried, really tried to follow Loki's instructions…and found himself lying on his stomach over the saddle. "Damn."

He heard a patient sigh from behind him. "You let your foot leave the stirrup. Grab the edges of the saddle on both sides of the horse and pull yourself upright and swing your right leg over. I'll guide your left back into the stirrup on this side. Thor, get on the other side and be ready to _guide_ him there."

"Ready, brother," Thor told them. Bruce looked up at the beefy blonde who grinned at him. He was starting to understand why Loki hated that expression. It became irritating after a while.

"All right, doctor. Try it now," Loki advised.

He tried to do it; he really did, but found himself sliding off of the other side of the saddle. Fortunately Thor was prepared for exactly that and not only caught him but hefted him up into a seated position, straddling the beast. Loki grabbed him from the other side, and together the brothers stabilized his position. "Okay, I think I'm balanced now."

This time Loki's sigh had a longsuffering quality to it. "Don't try to take up the reins," he said as he lifted them up and over the horse's head. "Just hold on to the horn with both hands. We'll lead her."

Her? This huge horse was female? He looked around at the other horses. Hogun, Kara, Natasha and Clint were now mounted on horses about the same size as his that were either mares or geldings. Fandral, who had brought the string of them, was sitting on a slightly larger beast and holding the reins of two horses, one on each side of his, that were much larger still. The coal black one closest to him snorted loudly. Bruce looked down, yep, a stallion. The other, a cream colored behemoth, answered in kind while Fandral eyed them both nervously. Another stallion? Thor walked over and took the cream colored horse, mounted it smoothly and backed it away from the group. Another stallion, for sure. Loki moved to mount the ebony stallion, still holding the reins of his mare. "I thought it wasn't a good idea to have two stallions near a bunch of mares?" Bruce asked.

"It isn't, usually. But we raised and trained these two together. They tolerate each other…perhaps better than Thor and I do."

"Brother!" Thor called out, sounding affronted.

"Better than we have in the past, then." Loki tugged on Bruce's mare's reins and the horse obediently followed Loki's stallion. "We'll use a carriage on the way back," he promised.

… …

Odin smiled as he glanced at his excited queen. Frigga was all but bouncing in her seat. "One would think you had not seen our son in a century or more," he said.

She gave him a reproachful look. "Loki has been back amongst the mortals for a week with his magic restricted. While Heimdall says he has done well, I wish to know for myself how he fared…and in detail, not a dry report."

His smile turned indulgent as they heard a group approaching the doors to the small dining hall. "Well, then; you shall have your chance to ask."

The doors were thrust open by the pair of guards who waited without and Thor strode in, followed closely by Loki and his wife. The Warrior's Three and several mortals followed behind them, only one of whom Odin recognized. The two newcomers were staring at everything; the man quite blatantly, the woman's regard was more surreptitious. The one known as Hawkeye was smirking at the other two mortals, no doubt enjoying their awe. Odin reached for Frigga's hand as they stood. Thor dropped to his knees before them, pressing his right hand to his chest in salute. Loki bowed deeply and then followed Thor's example, and then whispered to his lady. "Kara, bow and kneel, you are a citizen of Asgard now."

Their daughter by marriage looked startled, but quickly bowed and then dropped to her knees and copied the brothers' salute. She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Sorry," she said softly.

Odin smiled and nodded. "No need for apology, my daughter. It is our responsibility to instruct you as to your new obligations."

"Actually, All-Father," Loki said with a grimace. "It was my responsibility and you have my apology for neglecting it."

"I should have seen to it, father," Thor interjected. "The blame is…"

"Thor, will you stop taking the blame for my damned mistakes?" Loki snapped.

"I only thought to…"

"I know what you thought, and while I appreciate your having my back, I can and must answer for my own actions or lack of them. Please."

Frigga nudged him and he looked to her with chagrin. She had predicted the boys' actions yet again. Her smug smile was well deserved. "My sons," he said, turning back to them. "While it warms my heart to see the two of you supporting each other, no apology is necessary from anyone. This is not a formal court, no harm has been done; no offense has been given. Now rise and introduce your other friends."

Thor and Loki rose, as bid, and Loki gallantly assisted his lady in doing the same. The minx was biting her bottom lip, no doubt struggling to avoid voicing a complaint at what she likely considered to be an unnecessary courtesy, or a comment on the brothers' interaction. "Father," Thor began. "You remember Clint Barton, the Hawkeye."

"I do, welcome back."

The mortal bowed politely. "Thank you, your majesty."

"These good folk are the members of the Avengers that you had yet to meet. May I present Natasha Romanov, known as the Black Widow, and Dr. Bruce Banner, known as the Hulk," Thor continued.

The burgundy haired woman and the uncomfortable appearing man both bowed. "We have heard good things of both of you," Odin told them. "You, my lady, I am told are responsible for removing the Hawkeye from the scepter's influence. And you my lord, I am told, released my son from the Titan's reach."

The man flushed. "Uh, I guess you could call it that."

"What would you call it?" Frigga asked, sounding curious.

The other humans chuckled and the man looked even more embarrassed. "I-well, I just got a bit angry with him." They frowned and Odin gestured for him to continue. Banner shrugged. "We call it cognitive dissonance."

Frigga frowned and looked as confused as he felt. This time the hard-looking woman laughed outright. "He hit him in the head _really _hard," she said. "That's what I had to do to Clint, though I didn't need to make Clint-sized craters in a granite floor to do it."

Odin watched with barely suppressed amusement as Loki's eyes drifted shut and he sighed. "Do not think badly of him, mother. I did provoke him a purpose. He was the only one save Thor who could have done enough damage to free me." Loki looked at his brother, smiling slightly. "And Thor would have been too busy trying to win me over to do what I truly needed." He glanced back at the mortal. "I could have done without the _puny god_ comment, however."

Banner grinned. "You were the one who gave the grandiose speech about being a god. It was deserved."

Loki smirked. "I suppose it was at that."

… …

Frigga could hear the affection in their voices. She smiled warmly and nodded to their guests. "We owe all of you a debt of gratitude and we thank you for visiting us. Have you recovered from the journey? If so, the evening meal is ready to be served." Only the woman called Natasha looked unsure about the prospect of a meal. She looked a bit queasy. "Perhaps we'll have mead brought in first. Lady Natasha, come with me and I'll get you something to settle your stomach."

The mortal redhead gave her a grateful look. "Thank you, your majesty. That trip was very unsettling."

"Some find it so; come with me. Kara, my dear, perhaps you should join us, I'm certain Eir would like to check on your progress."

"Yes, Frigga."

The young women followed her out the back exit and she led them toward the Hall of Healing. "Kara, I know forms of address are different on Midgard, but here in Asgard, you are now our daughter. Would it be too uncomfortable for you to call us mother and father?"

"Well, yes. On top of that, my parents abandoned me, so that would be kind of an insult."

That she had not known. Of course, other than Kara's love for her son and the girl's courage and honor, she knew relatively little about her. Their talk on her first visit centered mostly on Loki and how best to help him. "I see. Well, perhaps we can find some form of address you would be more comfortable with."

"Maybe."

She tried not to sigh at her new daughter's doubtful tone. The other woman's expression caught her attention. This Natasha was not feeling well at all. Missing a step as her vision shifted to the future, she felt Kara steady her. "Thank you dear." Well, well, she thought as she looked again at the mortal. Wasn't _that _interesting? They entered the Healer's wing and Frigga asked for Eir. The goddess came immediately.

"Your majesty, how may I be of service?"

"I have brought my daughter so that you may check on her progress. Also, this woman's stomach is unsettled after her journey to us. Could you find her a nausea remedy?"

"Of course, my lady. Your highness, please have a seat. And you, milady…ah…"

"Sorry, this is my friend, Natasha Romanov. She's a member of my team. Natasha, this is Lady Eir, the Norse goddess of Healing," Kara said quickly. "She's the one that healed my nervous system."

"Oh. Thank you for that. We were all worried about her," Natasha said.

"You are most welcome, Lady Natasha." Eir smiled at the woman's grimace. Frigga found herself smiling as well. "You are due honor here, my lady," Eir informed the woman. "Thus we shall address you as a noble of rank."

"I see. I find it…odd. The countries I have lived my life in do not recognize noble titles."

"Which doesn't mean Nat wasn't born to one. She was, she just didn't grow up having it used." The woman shot Kara an annoyed look. "She's directly related to the last emperor of one of the largest countries on Midgard."

"They didn't need to know that, Kara."

Kara shrugged. "It means something here; though they'd still consider you noble for your heroism." Natasha's frown was most thoroughly annoyed.

"Enough," Frigga decided. "Kara, come with me for a moment while Eir sees to your friend." As they passed the healer where she mixed a stomach remedy, Frigga whispered to the goddess "If I have seen a right, do not tell her yet." She touched her abdomen and waited for Eir to nod her understanding. "Come, Kara." She led the way into a back room, her daughter by marriage in tow.

… …

"Okay, _mother_, what are you up to?" Kara asked.

Frigga smiled gently. "Now was that so difficult?"

"Yes, excruciatingly. What's up with Nat, did you see something when you stumbled?"

"Ah, you've been told about my abilities. Loki?"

"No, Haakun. He told me you likely saw a pyrokinetic bride for Loki over a thousand years ago. I don't distract that easily, so spill."

"Spill what?"

Kara sighed. "Tell me what you saw."

"Answer a question for me first, my dear. Women who are warriors such as this Natasha generally give their heart to only one person or to no one. Which is it in her case?"

"Um, well, she loved her former husband until he went along with staging his death and then becoming an evil bastard. Now she's in love with Hawkeye." Kara shrugged. "She's as faithful to him as her job has allowed, from what she's said. Why?"

Frigga looked appalled. "Her job requires her to be unfaithful to the man she loves?"

"Her job with S.H.I.E.L.D. did, but she resigned. Having to do that was kind of a last ditch effort to get a job done, though. I don't think she's had to go through with it for a few years…again, why?"

"Ah. Good."

Kara's eyes narrowed. "Did you see…is she…?"

"I do not know if she is with child, but based on my seeing, she will have a child within the next year or so."

"Holy crap. And since her stomach won't settle down, she probably is. Wait, is traveling between the realms hazardous to a pregnant woman?"

"Not this early in the pregnancy, no. I would say after the first half it should be avoided."

"Oh, thank God. Uh…" Kara frowned. "I keep saying that, and it feels weird now."

Her mother-in-law smiled. "It shall be even odder when you are fully Æsir and are named a goddess."

"So you did see that." Frigga nodded. "Lovely. The team is never going to let me hear the end of it. That's assuming it happens in their lifetimes, it could be decades before I'm fully Æsir, right?"

"Normally it would be, but that's doubtful with you. Eir can tell us more after she's examined you. Now, shall we rejoin your friend?"

"Sure." Kara followed the goddess back into the main room where Natasha was sitting, looking less queasy. "Feeling better?"

"Much," Nat answered.

"Your highness, I'll take a look at you after your meal," Eir said and then turned to Frigga. "You are correct, as always, my queen."

"Ah, good. Kara, why don't you have a chat with Lady Natasha? Come along Eir."

Kara's jaw dropped as Frigga ushered Eir out of the room and firmly shut the door behind them. "That sneaky bitch," she fumed, yanking open the door. The two goddesses had already disappeared around a corner. "Damn it."

"Who are you calling a sneaky bitch, Kara?" Loki asked.

She turned to see him coming up the hall from the other direction. "Your mother. She just stuck me with…damn it to hell."

Loki's eyebrows rose. "Hmm. I'll agree she can be manipulative. But she is not…"

"Don't start. I'm pissed and I'm calling her a bitch in lieu of saying something threatening. I'm trying _really_ hard to behave myself here."

He smirked. "I'll applaud your effort then. Can I help, love?"

"No, but thanks. I have to talk to Natasha. We'll be back in a bit." She pushed up on her toes to kiss him and then turned back to the door.

"I'll be waiting."

… …

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked when Kara returned.

"My mother-in-law just pissed me off."

"That much I could tell."

Kara stared at her, normally sparkling eyes dark and broody. "Have you and Clint ever thought about having kids?"

"Never; in our profession, that isn't an option. Any children are either a target for your enemies, or you die before they're grown. Plus, pregnancy makes infiltration or combat problematic."

"You're in a different profession now. No infiltration duties, you're a semi-public figure. Any kids you might have would be surrounded by superheroes, so would be pretty safe, and you could take time out from combat to have them and spend extra time with them while they're small."

She shrugged. "I've resigned myself to never having children. I suppose it could be an option now, but not one I've thought about."

"You need to start thinking about it, like immediately," Kara told her.

"Why? Oh, please. I was nauseous from that wormhole, I'm not pregnant." Natasha frowned as Kara lifted one eyebrow and stared at her. "Don't be ridiculous. All S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel receive a monthly contraceptive injection. It's more than ninety-seven point eight percent effective when only one partner receives it. When both are on it, the protection rate exceeds ninety-nine point nine percent."

"Nat, you're not S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel any more. When's the last time you got your shot?"

Natasha frowned as she thought about it. "The day Loki showed up in Central Park, that's why Clint and I were at headquarters and able to get a Quinjet and head out there so quickly."

"That was nearly two months ago, and I know you've had your cycle since then, you borrowed tampons from me nearly four weeks ago, so the drugs would be well out of your system already."

It had been that long. She looked down at her still flat stomach. "_Bozhe moy_."

"Your EPT came back positive," Kara said with a grin and shrugged at her sharp look. "Eir confirmed it, I mean. So…that means you have a decision to make."

"_Krovavyĭ ad." _She stared at the wall that was covered in a soothing blue material and resisted the urge to stalk over to it and rip it to shreds.

"Nat? Look, if you need time to think about it, I won't tell anyone. I'll make sure Frigga and Eir keep quiet too, even if I have to threaten their asses."

"Don't threaten your mother-in-law. Even I think her husband is scary."

Kara chuckled. "Well, don't tell them this, but they both scare the crap out of me. I guess I'm a little more quick with the threats when I'm afraid."

"That's normal." She shook her head, still trying to deal with the turmoil. "I need to tell Clint."

"Don't you want to decide what you want first?"

Natasha gave her friend a patient look. "It's his child too. I won't deny him the opportunity to voice his opinion. I won't let him dictate my final decision, but he has the right to know and help me decide."

"Okay. Do you need to deal, or should I go get him?"

"I-It's best not to delay."

"Got it. Stay put, I'll go find him."

She sighed as she watched Kara stride from the room. "_Bozhe moy_."

… …

Kara pulled the door closed behind her and stopped abruptly. Loki was leaning against the far wall with an expression that was a cross between astounded and gleeful. "You were listening," she accused.

"Of course I listened. I'm not deaf."

"You could have been polite and walked far enough away to not hear us."

He shrugged. "I could have, but then I would not know what had happened. This was far more fun."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Now you know why I'm pissed with your mother. She stuck me with telling Nat."

"I thought Natasha was your friend."

"She is."

"Wasn't it best that her friend shared the news with her rather than a stranger?"

Damn it. He was right. "Frigga could have said that instead of just taking off like a bat out of hell," she groused.

"True. Shall I go retrieve the Hawk for you, love?"

"Yes, please. Make sure he has a nice stiff drink first. And see if you can relieve him of his weapons without him knowing it."

Loki snorted. "The man has enough right to be paranoid in my presence without me attempting sleight of hand upon his person. But the drink I can manage. Mead was being served when I left to find you."

"Okay. Damn, too bad I can't get Nat drunk now; that would make this a lot easier."

"Really, Kara," Loki said as he headed back to the dining hall. "Use a projection to settle her down if that is in her best interest."

She shook her head as she turned to open the door. No, she wasn't going there. It smacked too much of manipulating people for her own comfort. She didn't have the right. The door opened and Nat looked up at her. The other redhead's eyes were dry but haunted. "Scared?" she asked.

"Terrified. How am I going to tell him?" She frowned. "Wait, I thought…"

"I ran into Loki before I got too far down the hall. He's going to get Clint for me."

"Ah." Nat bit her lip. Kara had never seen the woman this emotional; it was a hell of a blow to her own balance. "I have no idea how he'll take the news, whether he'll be angry, frightened…I don't know what to expect from him."

"And you are the one who almost always knows what to expect from everyone, no wonder you're nervous. Look, Nat…Clint loves you. He's not going to be angry. Shocked, sure; scared, no doubt. Hell, we'll be lucky if he doesn't faint on the spot."

Natasha gave her a wry grin. "That's a distinct possibility."

"Well, we're in the Healer's wing, so it's a good place for it." Nat was smiling now. The fear was still in her eyes, but she was starting to see the humor of the situation. "You up to breaking the news?"

The assassin snorted inelegantly. "Were you?"

"Good point. Do you want me to stay while you tell him?"

"Hmm. Not in the room, but could you stay nearby?"

"Sure. Eir's office is through that door over there. I'm sure she won't mind if Loki and I wait there. If she does, she can bite me. I'm not much happier with her than I am with Frigga just now."

"Thanks."

… …

"Can you hear them?" Loki asked, trying not to smirk too broadly. Kara was lounging in a comfortable reading chair that at by a small set of overloaded bookshelves.

"No, and you shouldn't listen," his lady informed him sternly. "They deserve privacy for this."

"Where is the fun in that?" he asked, chuckling when she glared at him. "Besides which, if Barton faints, they'll need our help."

"I doubt he'll faint, barf maybe, but not faint. And you won't be much help, you'll be too busy laughing at him to do him any good whatsoever."

"No? Isn't there a saying on Midgard that laughter is the best medicine?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "That's only true if the person who needs the medicine is the one laughing; being laughed at only makes things worse. Would you want him to laugh if I got pregnant and you were shocked into fainting?"

He stared at her, all of the humor draining from him. "I wouldn't be shocked into fainting. I'd be on my knees before you, either begging you to keep our child if you wished to do otherwise, or thanking you for giving me a child if you did wish to keep it." Her reaction did make him smile again, though sadly. Taking a step closer, he took her chin in his hand and guided her mouth closed. "You don't want children, I suppose."

"Loki, we can't. The power going back and forth like it does…even Odin said it would be too dangerous."

He sighed. "I know." Tugging her to her feet he took her place in the chair and pulled her back down and onto his lap. "One day, when my sentence is served, would you be willing to give me a child? I cannot tell you it would be safe, even then. We'd be mixing three distinct species…"

"No, only two by that time; I'll be fully Æsir in a couple of decades according to Eir. And your birth mother already managed it, so it should be okay."

"But that's just it," he said bitterly. "We don't know that she managed it. My birth could well have killed her, we do not know."

"Hela's mother was Jötnar and managed to carry a three quarters Jötnar baby. I don't think having a three quarters Æsir child would be any more difficult for an Æsir mother."

"But what if our child shifted forms in your womb? Your body might automatically try to warm you, both of you might die."

Her eyes closed and she sighed, then she tucked her head into his shoulder. "Loki, we can't even think about it for over a hundred years. I refuse to worry about it until then…that way literally lays madness. We can ask Eir to research it and think about it. She'll get it figured out long before we're free to start a family, it will be okay."

"And if it's not?"

His own eyes were closed at this point; he hadn't realized how badly he wanted a child with Kara until he listed to Clint Barton being told he had fathered a child. He felt his lady's soft lips caress his cheek. "If we can't have our own, and we want to raise a child, we'll find one we can adopt. If it is okay, then we'll have a baby together."

"I'd like that, very much, if you do not mind."

Kara chuckled quietly. "Oh, Loki, I absolutely insist."

… …

"Jesus, Natasha; are you sure?" Clint asked, trying desperately not to hyperventilate.

"The Norse goddess of Healing is sure. I imagine that's a bit more accurate than a test kit from a pharmacy."

"This is really bad." He frowned as she grimaced, turned away from him and headed for the door. "What did I say?" He hurried after her. "Nat, don't walk out on me, I'm in shock here."

"And you don't think I'm in shock?"

"Well, sure. But I'm not the one running away from you. Jesus. How could we keep a baby safe? What if someone comes after us and hurts our kid?"

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Is that your only problem with it?"

He didn't know what she meant by that. "Um, yeah. That's a pretty big damn problem."

"So, if we could reasonably guarantee our child's safety, would you want it?"

Clint frowned. A baby, his and Natasha's baby…a little life that was part of both of them. Wow. "I-I guess maybe I do."

"Maybe? Clint, you can't say maybe. A child is an enormous responsibility. If you aren't certain you want that responsibility, you need to say so, now. There are no second chances on something like this and you can't wait until later to decide."

"Nat, I love you. I don't want you to have to go through with a pregnancy just because I like the idea of a miniature one of us to spoil. Babe, it's your body, that makes it your decision. But if you want to go ahead, if that's cool with you, I-I think it's great. I'll do anything I can to make it easier for you."

Natasha pursed her lips as she stared him down. "You're changing the diapers."

"Huh? Uh, okay. But wait, what about the safety issue?"

"Seriously, Clint? We'll be living with a Norse god and a woman who will eventually be one herself and in the meantime could probably kick the ass of at least half of the existing pantheon. And the Norse god's brother will be coming and going. Add Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk into the mix. No one is going to get close enough to our baby to harm it. If we find out anyone is even _thinking_ about it they'll find themselves in a world of hurt."

… …

The assassins were taking a long time with their discussion. Kara could feel her stomach complaining, but she didn't want to disturb them so she had burrowed into Loki's shoulder and tried to rest. Finally the door flew open and they both jumped. "Hey, I'm going to be a dad!" Clint crowed.

Kara smiled. "You didn't faint, wow, I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, it was a near thing. I almost upchucked too, but I kept the mead down…barely."

"Good for you. So you're both okay?" She leaned to the side to see past him. Nat was standing there, still looking nervous, but wearing a small smile.

"Yeah, we're great…uh," Clint turned to look at Natasha. "Aren't we?"

"We're good," she agreed, that smile widening.

"Congratulations, both of you," Loki said softly. Kara frowned as she felt his underlying sadness.

"Thanks, man." Clint was giving Loki an odd look. "Loki, you okay?"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him nod. His mouth was tightly drawn and he said nothing. "Um, Clint…he's happy for the two of you, really. We were just kind of down for ourselves. Because of the whole key business, I'm not going to be able to have children until his magic can be released permanently. That's going to be a while. So I guess we're, well, envious."

"Oh, crap. Jeez, I'm sorry."

Loki stood and set her on her feet. He held out a hand to Clint who took it. Kara tried not to smile as they did the manly hand clasp, clap on the shoulder thing. "Kara's right. I do envy you, but I wish you all happiness. Please, let me know if there is anything I might do to help."

"Same goes for me, but I draw the line at changing diapers," she told them.

"Damn. I was hoping to pawn that off on you guys," Clint grumped.

"No such luck." They stood awkwardly for a minute. "Well, Nat, if you're stomach's feeling better; the food is probably ready for us. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."

"It's much better," Nat said and nudged Clint sharply.

"Huh? Oh, right. "Um…" he flushed and looked at Loki. "Look, I know I'm the last person you'd expect to ask you this, considering, well, everything…" he trailed off with an extremely odd expression.

"Clint," Nat said in a warning tone.

"Yeah, I'm getting to it." He looked up again. "I, well, we'd be honored if the two of you would agree to be our baby's godparents."

Kara took a half step back in shock. Clint was right; he was the very last person she'd have expected to ask Loki to be his kid's godfather. Thor, sure, even Tony…Steve and Bruce, well, maybe but not likely. But Clint? Whoa. She stole a glance at her husband. His shock was showing on his face; his eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped noticeably. "I…that is quite an honor," he half-whispered. "I do not think it wise under the circumstances, but I am grateful for the thought."

"Why not?" Natasha asked sharply.

Loki stared at her and swallowed. "I am a convicted criminal…the charges in a court on your world would have been multiple counts of murder, not to mention aggravated assault. Should aught happen to the two of you, the authorities on Midgard would fight my taking custody of your child."

Both Clint and Natasha looked shocked at that. Kara couldn't blame them, it wouldn't have occurred to her either. Nat licked her lips with narrowed eyes. "We'll get Stark Industries' legal counsel on it. If they can work it out, will you, both of you, accept?"

Kara looked up at Loki. She lowered her shields, just a bit, and could feel his yearning. Giving him an encouraging hug she turned to the waiting couple. "If legal can get it cleared, we'd love to."

… …

**Author's Notes:** SURPRISE! At least, I hope you're surprised. I was certainly surprised when I was well into writing this chapter and Natasha wouldn't let me write her recovering from her nausea. When I figured out why, I nearly fell over. I'm sure my reaction was nothing compared to Clint's. On to the next!


	49. Chapter 49

**Author's Notes:** A slow moving chapter but with lots of "feels", also much fluff and da smexy. For those of you who want to skip the extraneous fun, read the first section and then skip down to the final section. Otherwise, enjoy!

Thank you all for following and reviewing. It really makes my day to see the notifications of new followers and to see the reviews stack up. Your comments are totally inspirational. TEAM LOKI! How many of you voted for Tom/Loki as best villain in the MTV movie awards?

… …

Loki was still reeling from the mortals' request when they joined the others in the small dining hall. His mother's flush when Kara gave her a stern look was hard to miss, though. He smiled; Frigga had known very well that she was leaving his lady in a difficult situation but at least had the grace to feel guilty about it. "There, you see?" he said to Kara. "She is sorry for abandoning you."

"Humph. She should be. Just for that, don't tell her what they asked us."

"I wasn't planning on it. When it cannot come to pass, she would be disappointed and angry on my behalf. Midgard does not need a goddess of her stature angry with its people."

Kara frowned up at him. "I get that she's powerful, I can feel her energy. But what kind of power is it?"

"Hmm. Well, she is the goddess of Marriage, so do not think to escape ours."

"Like I'd want to."

"Would you?" He tried to keep the concern out of his voice.

"Stop that. You know better, and it's annoying that you keep questioning how much I love you." Her tone _was _annoyed, but the touch of her hand on his was gentle and reassuring.

"I'll try. Now, in addition, Frigga has a great deal of influence over childbirth, which is likely why she had such a clear and precise vision of Natasha's condition; she has the gift of prophesy, most of which she cannot share with any of us for fear of altering events that must come to pass."

"So Haakun was guessing she'd seen me; she never actually told anyone so and she can admit it now because it's happened?"

"Exactly. Frigga is also a powerful sorceress. I learned a great deal of my magic from her. She was the only one who did not belittle me for its pursuit."

"Which is why I'm not going to stay angry with her."

He chuckled. "Generous of you, love."

Kara's haughty look as she said: "I thought so," made him laugh louder.

"Tell me, my brother, what amuses you so?"

Loki sighed and forced himself to smile at Thor. "Something that is not mine to share."

"They're laughing about us, I bet," Barton interjected as he and Natasha took their seats. The woman frowned at the archer and then shrugged. "We're having a baby!" he said enthusiastically.

"Now that would be a good trick," Loki interjected. "Mother, know you any magic that would make it possible for the Hawkeye to share in the burden of carrying and giving birth to their child?"

"Aw, come on. You know what I meant," Barton muttered.

"I do. But perhaps you'd like to rephrase it and give credit for the difficult part of the endeavor where it is due."

He grimaced. "Right. Natasha and I are going to be parents. Obviously, she's the one having the baby; I'm just the guy with the honor of being its father."

Banner stared at the two of them, his expression almost setting Loki off into gales of laughter. "Why is it, even when I'm myself, that I always miss everything?" he asked.

"Don't feel bad," Natasha told him. "We wouldn't have known yet either if it weren't for Queen Frigga and Lady Eir." Banner's expression was decidedly relieved.

"How wonderful," Thor enthused. "And the timing is excellent. You will have Loki to aid the team in your stead, Natasha."

"I can still aid the team for now, Thor. I'll just have to take some time off for a while later."

"Oh, but you should not risk…"

"Don't finish that sentence," she warned. "I am not a wilting flower; I can still make you hurt."

Loki bit the inside of his cheek, anticipating Thor's next comment…and there it was. "Not much," his brother said with a broad smile.

Silence blanketed the room; every person in it other than his rather thick-headed brother knew he'd said the one thing guaranteed to anger the woman. Barton was visibly cringing, Banner's eyes were wide and he looked as though he'd very much rather be elsewhere. Odin and Frigga were unsuccessfully trying to hide their smiles and the Warriors Three were either giving Thor a pitying look or shaking their heads sorrowfully. Kara rolled her eyes. "Wow, Thor," she began. "You really _do _speak without thinking about what you're saying. All this time I thought Loki was exaggerating."

Thor's expression was priceless. He was totally dumbfounded and…hurt? "Did it not occur to you, brother," Loki told him gently. "That by insisting Natasha could not do you much harm that you gave her grievous insult? She _is_ a world renowned warrior."

The dolt turned his sorrowful eyes to the angry assassin. "My apologies, Lady Natasha; I know well of your prowess. I meant only that as a god, I would take little harm from you," he explained. "Particularly since, as my friend, you would not give your all toward doing me permanent hurt," he added hastily as the assassin's expression darkened.

"Nice save," the woman muttered, her eyes narrowing to deadly slits.

"Son," Odin said, looking at Thor. "You might also wish to consider that a woman who is with child is often far more dangerous than she would be else. The motherly protective instinct gives women extra strength and speed."

"And far less mercy," Frigga added.

"The Black Widow has never been known for the quality of mercy," Banner said diffidently. "I shudder to think of what she'll be like with less."

Loki almost felt sorry for Thor, but he remembered too well being on the receiving end of all around him putting him down, considering him always in the wrong. Oh. _Damn_. He sighed. "He meant no harm," he said aloud. "I imagine he was trying to jest as he would with a fellow warrior of Asgard, exaggerating his own prowess to gain laughter. Thor simply doesn't always realize when such boasts will fall flat rather than be found humorous."

"Then I suppose I'll let him live," Natasha said with an unsettling smile.

…. …

"I'm very proud of you," Kara told her husband after he closed the door to his…their chambers. "You really didn't have to defend your brother like that. After all of the times he let people put you down or did it himself, you'd have been well within your rights to let him go on seeing how it felt." She smiled at his sour expression and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him tightly. "I love that you were able to be the better person and defend him like that."

He sighed and stroked her hair. "Allowing it to continue was tempting, but…I couldn't. He looked so miserable, like a pup that's been kicked when it was only trying to play." Loki's other hand tightened on her hip. "I've felt like that far too often."

"I know. I think your parents do, too. They were both feeling so pleased when you intervened. It really shows how much you've grown as a person. And…" she said with a smile. "I think you deserve a reward."

"Oh? And what did my wicked lady have in mind?"

"Wicked? Hmm, I suppose I could manage a wicked kind of reward." Trying not to laugh at his slightly confused look she pulled away and tugged him toward the bathing chamber and its huge sunken tub. She'd been longing to actually enjoy the damn thing; all of the recovering she was doing from everything on their last visit had made using it strictly therapeutic. Walking backwards, she began tugging at the buckles on his formal armor. "You could help, you know."

"Without my magic, you'll likely be much quicker with this than I. It's been centuries since I took it off manually."

"You put it on manually. Though I guess I did help you with that. Fine, that will be part of your reward. But let me get mine off first." She stepped away and began unbuckling and unhooking her own armor. It was not as easy to get on and off as the set Tony had designed, but it was both lighter and easier to move in. Testing had shown that it was one hell of a lot stronger. Best of all, when Loki had shifted form and touched it, the runes engraved on it didn't allow it to freeze. He'd been worried about that considering their pending trip to Jötunheim; she hadn't known enough to realize that would be a concern. Laying the scaled links across a settee, she began to unlace the soft leather of the cat suit.

"Leave that for me," Loki said. She let her hands drop to her side as his arms snaked around her. Strong fingers closed over her leather-covered breasts and squeezed firmly. Groaning, Kara allowed her head to drop back against his chest and tilted it to the side to give him access to her neck. He smiled against her skin and gently caressed her throat with his lips before giving a sharp nip to the tendon.

Shivering at the sensations, she laid her hands atop his as he continued to roughly knead her through the soft leather. "I thought I was giving you the reward," she moaned.

"Oh, trust me, Kara. This is definitely rewarding." Those nimble fingers managed the lacings before she could do more than take a breath and then closed on the bared globes, lifting them, stroking them, and finally taking a nipple between each thumb and forefinger and pinching firmly.

"Damn it, Loki…this isn't what I had in mind at all," she whimpered, pressing back against him as heat began to build in her sex.

"You're not enjoying this?"

"That's not the point!" Her voice sounded petulant, even to her. "I…" she gasped as he peeled the leather down, trapping her arms at her sides and scooped her up in his arms.

"Your turn will come, my beautiful lady. Have no worries on that score." Loki laid her down on the soft bed, then covered her body with his, putting some of his much greater weight on his elbows. She could feel the pressure of his armored mass on the lower half of her body, but it wasn't crushing her. She gasped again as he took one already stiff nipple in his mouth and sucked strongly. A shock ran from the swiftly engorged nub directly to her clit and she could feel wetness starting to gather below. Loki abandoned the first nipple and moved on to its twin. He shifted to his knees and resumed peeling the cat suit down her body, then lifted her hips with one hand and tugged the leather down to her thighs with the other. "If this is all the undergarment you're going to wear, why even bother?" he asked as he plucked at the barely there silk bikini briefs that covered…well, decorated her bottom.

Pouting at the loss of his mouth on her nipple she gave him a solemn look. "It's pretty."

His mouth dropped open for a moment before he laughed, long and hard. "All right," he finally managed. I'll grant you that."

"Don't rip it," she ordered as he started to pull at it. "Please?"

Loki smiled at her quick change in approach. "Since you asked so nicely," he agreed. Moving to the edge of the bed, he finished pulling the cat suit off and laid it across her armor. He slid the silk panties down and off and tossed them on the floor. "Much better," he decided.

… …

Her fiery hair was spread out against the rich green of the bed covers. The dark material made her creamy skin seem pale in contrast. Her ongoing conversion to Æsir had defined her musculature a good measure. What had been somewhat generous curves with a hint of softness from minimal exercise was now firm voluptuousness over well defined muscles. His Kara was not eating enough to keep up with her new metabolism and her collarbones were far more prominent and her ribs were starting to show, too much so for his taste. "You're eating too little," he scolded as he sat back to work on the buckles to his armor.

"I know," she agreed. "I just can't seem to eat enough to keep up. I'll eat until I'm full and then less than an hour later, I'm hungry again. So then I'll eat again, but then I get sore here," she explained as she traced her abdomen above her intestines.

It seemed her digestive system had not yet developed enough to handle the influx. "Then we'll plan smaller meals for you every few hours. I'll check with Eir." He smiled and stroked the silky skin of her hips with one hand and then trailed his fingers across the firm belly and then up again to her breasts. "I thought you were beautiful as a mortal and believed it impossible that becoming Æsir could improve upon what I saw as perfection. I suppose I simply had not the imagination to envision you thus. Oh for…again?" he asked as her eyes began to glisten.

"Yes, if you want me to stop tearing up, you'll probably have to stop talking."

He chuckled and dropped his boots and the last of his armor on the floor then lay down beside her, gathering her in his arms. "Never, my lady. I need to remember that in these situations, such tears are a good thing and that I have managed to please you, not just with my body, but with my heart."

"Can we go get in the bath?"

He frowned. "But I haven't even gotten you dirty yet." Her pout was delicious. "No, I'm not giving in; you will get your bath only when it's well needed." She frowned up at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "That pose looks quite ridiculous when you're lying down, you know." Kara's eyes narrowed and she scowled. "Oh for pity's sake, very well," he huffed in frustration as he scooped her up and carried her toward the bathing chamber. The minx was now smirking at him. "What have I become that I obey your slightest whim, my lady?" he complained.

The brat had the nerve to giggle. "A man in love, and it goes both ways, so don't whine."

"Humph, if I do, you'll no doubt scold me for it," he told her, fighting a smile with little success.

"You'd better believe it." Kara tugged at his tunic's laces and pulled it up once he'd set her on her feet. "You're going to either have to bend down so I can get this off, or take it off yourself. He smirked at the top of her head. "And no, I am not short, you're just overly tall."

"Did I say aught?"

"You were thinking it, I could tell from your expression."

Damnation. 'Busted' as Stark would say. "If you were much taller it would not be nearly as much fun to hold you," he decided as he pulled off the tunic and tossed it towards the bedroom. He watched avidly as she knelt and divested him of his pants and socks and then smiled up at him.

"Hmm. I'm beginning to see the merit in getting dirty before we get in the water," Kara admitted.

"No, much too late now."

"Really?" A slender hand grasped his rapidly hardening arousal and stroked it gently. "Are you sure about that?"

He was actually quite sure he _did_ want to get 'dirty' first, but was enjoying the game too much to admit it. "Fairly certain, love. Yes."

She moved into a crouch and he gasped as she dragged her tongue from the base of his cock to the crown and then swirled it around the tip. "Positive?"

"Ah…yes?" A groan escaped as he watched her swallow as much of his erection as she could manage. The sensation was one of his favorites and he savored it as she began to suck strongly. Suddenly the amazing wet heat was gone and she stood before him.

"Too bad," Kara said, sounding regretful as she turned away and stepped into the bath.

… …

Kara kept her face turned away from Loki as she stepped down into the sunken bath. She dropped her shields just enough to feel his stunned disbelief, swiftly followed by annoyance. Then the annoyance faded into confusion. "Not sure who to be annoyed with, huh?" she asked.

His mutter of "damned know-it-all woman" was just barely audible and made her laugh. "Yes, yes, laugh at me. I did it to myself," he said a bit louder.

She turned, trying vainly not to smile. "You did." Moving into the deeper end of the bath she sat down on the submerged bench that ran along that edge. Kara crooked her finger at him and managed to tame her grin by the time he sat down beside her, his expression bordering on sullen. "Down here," she instructed, pointing to the area in front of her.

"Why?"

"Because I can reach your shoulders there." He settled down on his knees in front of her and she retrieved the soft sponge and dish of soap that sat on the tile that surrounded the bath. After wetting the sponge, she dipped it in the soap and then ran it over his shoulders and upper back. Then leaning forward she pressed her breasts against his back and kissed his jaw. "Relax and enjoy," she said softly.

Loki leaned back slightly against her and she slowly, sensuously soaped his chest, swirling the sponge around the almost flat nipples then followed the definition of his lean musculature. He cooperatively dropped his head forward as her free hand kneaded the tense muscles at the side of his neck, her lips traveling over the opposite shoulder.

"Mm, very nice love," he murmured as he relaxed under her touch.

Kara smiled and continued her ministrations until his chest, back and neck muscles loosened and his upper body was supported only by hers and the water. "Okay, let's sit you here," she told him, and guided him to sit on the bench and lounge back against the tile. Moving in front of him, she raised one of his long legs and began massaging and soothing it with the soapy sponge.

"You missed a spot," he told her with a slight smirk.

"No, I just haven't gotten there yet. Be patient." He sighed. "Admit it, this feels good," she insisted.

The emerald eyes opened just far enough to focus on her. "I admit nothing." Kara abandoned the sponge to take his foot in both hands and massage it firmly. "Oh. No, that doesn't feel good." She gave him a censoring frown. "Don't frown at me, Kara. It feels wonderful, not simply good."

That made her chuckle. "That is why this is called a reward. Besides which, I promise it will feel even more wonderful shortly," she told him as she switched legs. Another deep sigh, this one of enjoyment, emerged from his lips as she made her way down to the other foot.

… …

He had never felt so relaxed in all of his years. His lady's hands were growing much stronger as her system adjusted and the firm pressure was perfect. He peered down at the tenseness of the muscles in her hands for a moment; ah, as he'd suspected, she was using much of her current strength. After considering a moment, Loki realized that she must be using her empathic skills to determine how much pressure to use. His eyes drifted closed again. This was definitely something he could get used to. Receiving such attention from his lovely wife was infinitely better than the attentions of any of the bathing servants he'd ever enjoyed. All too soon she was setting his right leg back down under the water. "Turn over and lean here," she instructed, indicating the edge of the tiling surrounding the tub. He did as she asked and felt her slide one leg along the bench to support his abdomen.

Groaning as Kara dug the heels of her hands into his lower back he luxuriated in the unknotting of his lumbar muscles. "Oh, love, that's just what I needed," he muttered.

"I know."

Turning his head slightly to look at her smug expression, he chuckled. "You are a know-it-all wench, aren't you?"

"I'm not a wench, I'm your wife," she snapped and then snickered. "I'd say Humperdink a few times, but you wouldn't get it."

"Hump-what?"

"Remind me that you need to watch 'The Princess Bride' when we get back to Avengers' Tower. It's a line from that film, very funny in context."

"Hmm, I'll take your word for it." He groaned again as she began to knead his backside.

"Almost done," she said.

"You've still missed a spot."

"You're still impatient."

"So I am."

The deep massaging grip eased to a soothing caress. "Okay, you're done," Kara told him.

He turned over to stare at her. "Surely you jest?"

She slowly blinked her kaleidoscope eyes several times before abandoning her serious expression. "You're right," she admitted with a grin as she ran one hand down his chest, over his abdomen and then lightly stroked his cock. "I missed a spot."

… …

Clint found himself staring as Natasha efficiently shucked her leathers and laid them next to his on the table where a servant would pick them up for cleaning. There was, as yet, no visible sign of her pregnancy. Wow…pregnancy, parenthood, fatherhood. Not something he'd thought much about since he was much younger and definitely not since he'd been recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. and started taking their mandatory contraceptive drugs. He hadn't realized there was such a thing for men…but considering the state of the pharmaceutical industry he wasn't surprised that they didn't make such a thing available to the general public. Asshats. Uh oh. Nat was frowning at him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You're staring."

Uh oh. Nat hated that almost as much as Dr. G. did. Think, Barton, think! "Uh, well, yeah. Even with all the fancy architecture and warrior gods and goddesses running around here, you're still the most amazing sight I've ever seen."

Her eyebrows shot up. "_Govno_. You've been spending too much time listening to Loki."

"Yeah, well, once you get past the crazy shit, he's pretty damn funny. Stark's gonna have a fit over the stuff Loki will pull when he's living in the Tower and doesn't have to worry about getting yanked back in front of the Tribunal."

"He's already planning?"

"Hell, he's probably got his next five hundred years mapped out. No, seriously. He was asking me what totally annoyed Tony without completely pissing him off." Clint shrugged. "So I figure he's cooking up some more pranks to retaliate for the nickname crap."

"Uh huh. Did he ask about anyone else?" Natasha wanted to know.

He grinned appreciatively as she strolled across the room to where he lounged on a sofa. Damn, what a picture she made; hotter than hell without consciously doing anything provocative. "Sure, but when he asked about you it was more about what not to say so he wouldn't offend you. His focus was totally different; I think he just wants to stay on your good side."

"Smart man."

"Yeah, he doesn't underestimate you. Not like Thor." Clint frowned. "Do you see Thor differently now?" he asked as Natasha stretched out and laid her head back on his chest.

"I thought he was pompous from day one; but he has a good heart. Unfortunately, he wears it on his sleeve; not a good quality for a soldier." She fell silent and still save for one hand which stroked the back of the arm he'd wrapped around her waist. "Did Loki's defense of him surprise you?"

"What, you didn't see my jaw drop? It shocked the hell out of me."

"Did he change or did he just get well, I wonder."

"Nah, he didn't change; his mind is still like Banner's bag of cats…he's just got a better grip on the bag."

"Or Kara does."

"I don't think it's all her, Nat. I mean, she helped, sure. But from what Banner said, Loki was ready to just sit and take his punishment before he fell for her."

"Whatever." Natasha's other hand was moving now. She had it twisted between them and had a firm grip on his cock…and that puppy was happy as all hell for the attention. "Obviously this works, so why aren't you working it?" she asked.

He grinned as he let his head drop back. "Shit, Nat. I thought you'd never ask."

"I don't ask, I tell," she said as she twisted in a smooth move and straddled his legs. He continued to grin as he slipped fingers between her folds and explored her sex. She was already damp, no surprise there. Natasha had the best conscious control over her sexual responsiveness of anyone he'd ever met. By the time he'd slipped his index finger inside, wetness was coating her inner walls. Her eyebrow lifted and he obediently added his middle finger and stroked the digits in and out firmly.

Watching her eyes narrow and her back arch with the beginnings of enjoyment he bit his lip to suppress a groan. She wanted this slow and silent, that was the mood she was in, he could tell. A nod directed him to insert a third finger. Now he held his hand still while she moved atop it at her own pace. Another nod and he pulled his hand away and prepared to balance her as she lowered herself on his now painful erection. As always, Nat groaned as she pressed down on his thick cock and cussed under her breath in her native tongue. He wasn't excessively long, but Nat had told him that she'd never had anyone with more girth, and that she loved it. "Christ, Nat…so damn hot," he muttered as she began riding him, her firm breasts swaying slightly as she moved.

"_Zatknis'_," she snarled as her speed increased. He snapped his mouth shut obediently. Her strong hands held his shoulders in a punishing grip as she plunged down and pulled herself up again at a rapid rate. His hands stroked her flexing thighs feverishly as his balls tightened. Christ, he was going to come before she was ready, and that just wouldn't do. He moved one hand between them and gripped his cock hard around the base to stave off the inevitable as long as he could, hopefully until she was ready. He groaned as the pressure-the need to thrust built and he held himself back, knowing that she wanted…no, _needed _the control at this point. Nat was breathing harshly now; her jaw was set and her bright eyes were narrowed to pleasure-filled slits. Just when he thought he couldn't hold out any longer she hissed at him: "Now, Hawk!"

Grinning, he released his grip on his cock and lifted her up and off and turned her over. Her cunt was dripping and swollen from the hard use as he thrust home. "Christ, Nat!" He wrapped one arm around her torso, just below her breasts and the other across her still flat stomach as he began to pound inside of her. The sensations were all but blinding in their intensity and he lost all semblance of control as she tightened around him with a half-stifled whimper. "Fuck!" he yelled as he came hard, clutching her tightly as the spasms shook him to his core. He twisted and landed on his ass on the sofa, his woman still semi-impaled on his half-hard staff. "There's never been anyone like you, Natasha," he muttered as he stroked her trembling body. "I love you so damn much it scares the shit out of me."

She tilted her head back and nipped his jaw, hard. "You're the only man in the universe that doesn't need to fear loving me," she told him. Yeah. That was his Black Widow, the more deadly half of his soul and he wouldn't want it to be any other way.

… …

Kara decided it was time to stop teasing her husband. Well, to mostly stop teasing him. She dipped her head down to where the crown of his growing erection was barely cresting the bathwater. Her chin brushed the water as she licked just his tip. He groaned and raised his hips so that more of his cock was exposed. Taking the silent invitation, she closed her mouth over the head and circled it with her tongue then began to suck strongly as her hand firmly grasped the still water-covered base. "You are trying to own me," he said with a groan.

She looked up and abandoned her task long enough to respond. "We own each other, and you know it." Reclaiming her prize she drew another deep groan from him as she settled into a rhythm of sucking and stroking that was making him shake with need. Her mind searched for a way to make this time memorable, with her limited experience, options were few. Ah…she had it. Loki gasped as she tore her mouth away from him. She could feel his puzzlement as she turned her back, his cock still held firmly in her right hand. Using her left hand on his thigh for balance, she guided his erection inside her until she was sitting on his lap, her back pressed against his chest and tilted her head up to look at him.

Surprised green eyes stared down at hers. "This is different."

"Good different?" she asked anxiously.

His grin reassured her. "Always, love. You'll never disappoint me."

"No pressure, huh?" she smiled as he chuckled in her ear. "Hmm."

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding thoroughly amused, damn it.

So much for her great idea. "Now that I'm here, I don't know what to do. I don't have anything to push up on to ride you from this position." She flushed as he laughed again. "I didn't think it was that funny," she mumbled.

"Sweet girl; it's not funny, it's delicious. I have you at my mercy, and quite frankly, my love, I have none." That didn't bode well, and she squirmed, trying to climb off of him. "You're rather impaled, that isn't going to work."

Crap, he was right. "Don't be mean," she told him.

"Never to you; though I will make you beg," he promised. Kara gasped as his long fingers spread her folds. Holding them parted with one hand, his other was free to play. She squirmed as the sensations shot through her, making her whimper but not beg. Not yet. His fingers danced over her clit, playing her like an instrument. The combination of his hard length buried deep inside her and the teasing external stimulation had her on the edge of orgasm before she could fully catch her breath. She could feel the strain of her muscles as the need gathered and instinctively arched into his touch. A shriek escaped as he pinched that sensitive nub and she shook as she tried desperately to move on him. "Now, love, that won't get you what you want," he reminded her gently.

She wasn't sure how he was able to hold out. This had to be at least as much torture for him as it was for her. "Not fair," she whined as another jolt of pleasure shot through her. So damn frustrating, she thought as she twisted in an attempt to get the internal pressure where she needed it most.

"Gods, minx," he ground out. "I _will _outlast you."

Oh, good, it was getting to him. Now it was just a matter of who was more stubborn. She squealed as he rapidly flicked his fingertips against her clit and tremors shook her. She needed more so badly…okay, he was more stubborn! "Loki, _please_!" she sobbed.

"Thank the nine," he growled as he slipped his hands under her bottom and lifted. Shrieking once as he pulled her back down hard, she then subsided into panting whimpers as he moved her up and down on his rock-hard staff. "Play with yourself, love," he instructed her. "I want to see your fingers drive us both over the edge." Letting him take the burden of their coupling, she moved one hand to her clit and began rubbing it at a frenzied pace. "More," he demanded. "Don't forget your nipples, Kara." Her other hand moved to her breast, seemingly of its own accord and she squeezed and tugged at the hard peak. "That's it, love, harder."

The pleasure crashed over her as a massive orgasm swept through her body and she screamed: "Oh my God, Loki!" before she lost all control over her movements and spasms wracked her. Loki was thrusting up furiously as he pulled her ever more firmly against him and she shrieked again as she felt him begin to come. He clutched her hips hard enough that she swore they'd break. Her partial conversion to Æsir was probably all that was preventing it. Kara shuddered as her muscles seemed to turn to mush and she collapsed in his arms.

… …

Frigga made her way through the private garden to the large figure that brooded at its center. Seeing the older brother wandering the blossom-filled paths from her balcony had been a shock. Normally only Loki sought the quiet peace of her favorite sanctuary. Thor, well, Thor had never been much of a thinker, but he too had changed. "What is wrong, my son?" she asked as his bulk came into view.

He looked up slowly, another atypical reaction for the god of Thunder. His eyes were troubled. "I-I am lonely, mother," he rumbled.

He'd just spent the entire evening with his brother and most of his friends, including some of the mortal ones. Oh. "Do you need to return to Midgard, to your mortal lover?" she asked.

Surprising her yet again, he shook his head. "I've been watching my brother and his wife. Is it true you saw her for him long ago?"

"Not Kara, specifically; but I saw him with a female wielding fire who would become a goddess here. I'd feared at first he would become involved with a woman with the blood of Muspelheim. It took many years before the visions refined and I knew she would be a human and that she'd bring him happiness."

"Do you see happiness for me?" he asked with a pleading expression.

How had this happened? Thor was always the joyful brother with a sunny disposition. How had he become so disheartened? "You know that I could not say whether I have seen aught for you or not until after the fact."

"I thought as much. This means Jane is not my other half, then." Ah. He'd learned to read between the lines. That was another behavior that she had only previously associated with Loki.

"That does not mean that you do not have feelings for her. Perhaps you and she share another fate." Thor gave her a sour look. "Have you told your Jane that you love her?" she asked.

He sat down heavily on the great stone bench that faced the small set of waterfalls that were a magically built replica of the ones that graced Fensalir, her private retreat near the base of the Great Mountains. "No, I did not. I told her I cared for her and appreciated her and yearned to see her again." He sighed. "Perhaps, somehow, I knew."

Frigga nodded. "When you find your other half, you will know. Oh, possibly not right away, particularly if she is not what you would have chosen for yourself. But you will come to know that only that one person will ever make your heart sing. That only seeing that face, being held in that person's arms will ease your burdens. I promise that you will know should you find your other half."

"I am jealous of my brother's happiness. Foolish of me; after all he has been through at my hands and at the hands of my friends, he deserves to find love first. But still, I envy him his good fortune, despite the coin he paid for it."

There was little she could say. He stood and she opened her arms to him and held him in a comforting embrace. "Go sleep, my son. Your day will come, but for now, give your brother his. It has been a long time in coming." He squeezed her gently and pulled away with a half smile and a nod. She sat down on the bench and sighed.

"I do not suppose you will tell me when we may expect grandchildren, my wife?" Frigga started and turned to see Odin come out from one of the garden's hidden paths. She smiled ruefully as he settled down on the bench beside her and took her hand.

"Not so soon as you wish, yet sooner than you fear," she replied cryptically. He gave her a look that rivaled Thor's for sourness.

"You, my dearest lady are both the bane and the joy of my existence," he said with a reluctant smile.

"As you are mine, my lord."

… …


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's Notes:** Fifty chapters, holy crap. Honestly, it was originally planned for thirty, but everybody wanted their say! Could YOU say 'no' to any of the Avengers or Asgardians? Sigh.

Since this is a milestone chapter, before we get down to it I'd like to acknowledge the faithful readers who have also taken the time to review. While I love all of my readers, I'm especially grateful to the reviewers. They are the ones who let me know if I'm going off the track or if I'm hitting the target at which I've aimed. Those lovely people are, in order of the number of reviews they've submitted:

CLTex, Kathalla, DoctorLokiLove, RemaSofiRuin, Loki'sdreamer, BlooAngels, miller330, Ynath Esrith, thinggtwoo, jeanette9a, Miko Hayashi, MissKikkiKat, Lioncourt619, Mutinious Pirate, Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, DMMD, Frostfire613, Ellize Avalon, Freyalyn, ikatiecullen101, Tashio, Yasumi, AliceOfCards, AwkwardGiraffe, BarefootBalerina, CheerupSkitz, C'ielAster-Stuart, d1x1lady, Doctor-Tardis-Yes, Fleeing Dawn, Genevieve, Hope of the Darkness, horsesforcourses, IthilAerlinn, LadyAmazon, lizzymcguires899, MagnaMagic, mimi12349876, Mrs Capt Jack Sparrows, rajanihala, Random chicky, SAINTIXE56, ShizukaRen-Hime and TwilightWorshipper13. There have also been about a dozen "guest" reviewers who did not leave names. You are no less appreciated!

Again, thank you, with all of my heart. Now, on to the story!

… …

Eir entered the private study as bid and then bowed respectfully to her monarchs. "I've just left Prince Loki and Princess Kara," she reported.

"And what did you find?" Lady Frigga asked eagerly.

"As we anticipated from the last exam, the princess's conversion is advancing far more swiftly than normal. The power of the Key in her body is rushing the rest of the conversion along at a breakneck pace. Your son expressed concern that she appeared to be growing too thin and I must agree with him. Obviously she's gained weight as her muscle and bone density increase, but her ribs and spine are becoming too prominent. I've recommended a small meal every one to two hours for a time to compensate for the energy being burned so quickly. Her meng mein is almost fully developed. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I am astounded."

"Loki tells me that they've been practicing the release and rebinding of his magic several times a day so that it becomes second nature for them," the All-Father said thoughtfully. "That is also likely a contributing factor to her development. Additionally Kara has been working hard to adjust to the new strength of her gifts. Loki believes she is actively using her meng mein to channel her power, which I find quite amazing considering her youth as an Æsir."

"Dear, she was already using the chakra of that area to channel energy. Transferring the channeling to the physical organ likely came naturally to her," the queen told her husband. "What of our other concern?" Frigga asked.

Eir sighed. "I had them practice the release and binding while I watched. Loki's power is too strong; she will not be able to safely carry a child any time soon. I am sorry; I know you were both looking forward to their giving you grandchildren."

"And in the future?" her king asked.

"I cannot know for certain since the fate of Loki's birth mother is a mystery, but once it is otherwise safe for her to bear, I believe that, with proper instruction, the princess will be able to bind the infant's ability to change forms in the womb so that the mixture of races will not be a true concern to their health." Frigga smiled and her gaze grew distant. "Your majesty, you have thoughts on this?"

"Yes. I believe you are quite correct. But still, so long as Loki's magic must be bound, it cannot be risked." Frigga's eyes refocused on the room. "Are our son and our daughter by marriage coming to speak with us?"

"I have told them to. They wished to have a few moments alone first to absorb the news I gave them."

… …

"It's good news," Kara insisted. "Yes, we'll have to wait until I can release your magic permanently, but then we can have a baby safely."

Loki shook his head with a frown. "Eir said that we _should_ be able to risk having a baby, and that we _should_ be able to bind its ability to shift forms in the womb. She did not say it would be safe or that we would be successful."

She rolled her eyes. "You're such a pessimist. She was pretty damn certain, and that's based on what I can do now. You heard her; I might be able to do a lot more by that time. My body will be able to tolerate the necessary magic easily."

"Yes, _tolerate_. That means it is still not something natural." He huffed, still looking depressed about the whole thing. She dropped her shields slightly. Crap, he wasn't just down, he was pissed and felt like he wanted to strike out at something. "I cannot risk you in that way," he snapped.

"Loki, stop it. That's decades away; by that time I'll be a lot stronger and you'll know better what I'm capable of. Don't let it get to you now. Sure, if we were to try it right this minute the risk would be too unknown and too high. So, we're not. When your magic is permanently unbound, Eir will check me out again. If for some reason she doesn't think it's a good idea at that point, then you can be upset. Right now, it's very hopeful that we can, so please don't dwell on the slight possibility that it isn't."

He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes for several long moments. Finally he nodded and his hands caressed her shoulders as he looked down at her with a half smile. "Very well. I suppose I'm being greedy. I have you, my other half, and all I can think is that I want it all and that I want it _now_."

"That's probably from too many years of feeling as though you had nothing. It's natural." She moved in to give him a quick hug and then tugged at his arm to get him moving down the hall. "Let's go see your mother. If she isn't disappointed, then you can pretty much count on having it all one day."

His eyebrows rose. "You…are likely right. Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're too wrapped up in feeling sorry for yourself and pissed off at the universe. Knock it off."

"As you wish."

She snickered and looked up in time to see his confusion. "Seriously, our first order of business when we move back into Avengers' Tower is movie night with 'The Princess Bride'. Damn, I'm going to have to lift my ban on eighties' films."

… …

The guards opened the doors to Odin's private study as they approached. Loki schooled his features to nonchalance; he would not let them see that he was surprised that they were told to admit them without announcing their arrival. He settled Kara's hand in the crook of his arm so that they could make a more formal entrance only to stop short as his mother literally threw herself at them before they'd gotten more than two strides into the room. "Oh, Loki, Kara, is the news not wonderful?" she asked joyfully.

He gave his mother a confused hug and stepped back. "Which news has pleased you so?" he asked.

Kara snickered again as Frigga gave him an exasperated look. "The news that Kara should be able to safely bear you children one day, of course."

"Mother, should does not necessarily equate to will. We shall have to see when the time comes."

Odin chuckled from his seat by the ornate fireplace. "There is no dampening of your mother's enthusiasm, my son. If determination alone could make something true, it will happen."

Loki stared with his mouth open for a second. Hearing the All-Father casually addressing him as 'my son' was still so unexpected that it shamed him anew each time. "I-well, she is a force of nature…father."

Odin's smile at the form of address was genuine. "She is at that. As is your lady, in true command of an element, no less. Your heart has chosen wisely."

"My heart chose a woman of compassion. Her power was of little concern to it." His father frowned slightly at his assertion. "Truly, her fire was amazing, but had no bearing on my love for her. It was her understanding of how it felt to be considered a monster and to rise above that feeling that called to me."

"As well it should have," Odin agreed, his tone accepting. "You'll forgive my enthusiasm over her prowess as a warrior."

"No, actually, I will not," he said, trying to rein in his growing temper. "My wife is not Asgard's newest weapon, and her power is not to be used as a threat to the other realms. While she will fight if she must, and woe betide the man who tries to prevent her, I am certainly not that foolish; she would prefer diplomacy and compromise to achieve peace. And I-I will stand with her on that."

The old man was grinning widely. Loki's eyes narrowed as he wondered what had pleased the war-mongering old bas… "Good." His father stood and strode over to them. Gasping as Odin threw his arms about him in a hard embrace, he staggered a bit before regaining his balance. "I know you will bring me much pride as you pay your debts, Loki. You have grown in wisdom and courage as well as in compassion. Thor will be blessed to have you by his side once he takes Hlidskjalf."

"The Norns grant that my brother will not take your high seat for many years yet," he muttered. "He has made great gains, but he is not yet ready."

"I know this. You tried to tell me so before, but I discounted your words. I apologize."

Loki turned at Kara's giggle. She and his mother were standing together, both smirking. Kara shrugged as he glared at her. "It's amazing when men finally start to grow up, no matter how old they might be when they finally get to that point," she said, nodding at Odin. He glanced at his father who was frowning at the women.

"I have to agree," Frigga said as Odin's frown deepened. "Unfortunately, learning wisdom is a process that goes in fits and starts. Sometimes millennia will pass between one such growth spurt and the next."

"Leave off, wife," Odin growled as amusement took over his features. "I have admitted such as well you know."

"So you have, but a reminder is rarely amiss."

"Yes, yes. Now, come and sit down, all of you. We must take care of the business for which our children were summoned." They settled themselves down in the seats arranged by the fireplace. Though the weather was moderate, a small fire burned in it. Loki knew the flames were used for contemplation and for seeing great distances rather than as a source of heat. Kara was staring at them, her curiosity obvious. He'd remember to explain later. "We have a solution to the problem of defense against a magical attack while Loki's power is bound." Odin reached into a box set on a small table near his chair and drew two wide bracelets from it. They looked like tokens of marriage that were often exchanged between Æsir couples; each of the gleaming gold bands was etched with runes and set with an emerald green crystal, and those crystals were charged with potent magic. "I thought to disguise them as something you both might be expected to wear so that they would not be immediately targeted by an enemy. We've made them so that they will not only deflect an initial attack, but will alert the one who is not attacked that such has happened."

"So if Kara is attacked, she will release my magic and I will know to take that power and come to her aid immediately," Loki supposed.

"Yes. And if you are attacked, she will know it and will release your power so that you may defend yourself from subsequent attacks."

"Good. Wait, you say this as though we may not be together, is that the intent?"

"Yes. You can even be in different realms when the Key is used to release your power, my son. But you will need to be in the same realm to bind it again or you will suffer great agony from the binding as that magic travels through the realms unwillingly."

"That's acceptable. You said initial and subsequent attacks. Are these amulets good for one usage only, then?"

Frigga spoke up. "No; one usage per charge of power. We've built them in the manner of a permanent ward. Once a ward has done its job it must be recharged to be used again. So is the nature of these amulets. Once the danger has passed and before your magic is bound again, you will need to recharge them. It would be the same process as charging any major ward and should not be an issue for one of your skill."

Loki nodded. "You've made a mobile permanent ward. I did not know such a thing could be done. I suppose if it had occurred to me, I could have managed it." He shrugged. "The need was never there."

"Necessity is the mother of invention, is what we say on Ear…Midgard," Kara told them.

Odin frowned thoughtfully. "I suggest that you do not let anyone else know about the amulets and that there is no requirement for the two of you to be together when Loki's power is released, that way the return of his power will be an advantage no one can expect in those situations. It might well mean the difference in any battle."

"You are right," Loki agreed. "Kara, not even our friends may know. While they would not willingly disclose it," he added hastily as she frowned. "They cannot be forced to reveal knowledge they do not have."

"Oh, okay."

Odin gestured to the two of them to come closer. He snapped one of the bracelets around each of their left wrists. Loki could feel the power in the thing. "There, it is done. You may tell your friends and any others who ask that my lady chastised me for not providing such when I joined the two of you in marriage. And that though they are not the style of marriage adornments on Midgard, you would honor your home in Asgard by wearing them."

Loki looked at his wife. She smiled back at him and gave him a tiny nod. "We would be pleased to wear them for that reason alone," he told Odin.

… …

Natasha examined her uniform with a critical eye. The leathers were not only spotless; all signs of wear had seemingly been erased. "How did they do that?" she asked her Hawk.

"Do what? Isn't it clean enough for you," he asked with a smartass grin. She looked him over as he dressed. The worn spot on his left boot was also somehow gone.

Frowning, she met his dancing eyes. "You know exactly what I meant. Out with it."

He shrugged. "It's magic, and don't glare at me. I'm not being facetious, that's what I was told when I asked last time I was here."

"So they use magic even for everyday tasks?" His nod confused the hell out of her. "If magic isn't taboo, then why were they so down on Loki when he's evidently an expert?"

"Because he's not a woman, I guess. Apparently, with few exceptions, magic is considered a woman's art and it isn't manly to practice it to that extent. Which kind of drove me a little nuts, Odin is really big with the magic, so why did they make it seem so damn shameful for his kid?"

Natasha thought about it. "Jealousy," she finally concluded. "They couldn't hope to be better at it, so they belittled it."

Hawkeye stared at her. "Damn, I bet you're right."

"Of course I'm right," she told him as she zipped up and then grabbed the pack that contained her arctic gear, weapons and other essentials for their trip to Jötunheim. "Come on, we're late for breakfast and I'm starving."

"Yeah, well, you're eating for…"

"If you finish that sentence you won't be able to straighten up for a week."

"Geez, touchy much?"

She stopped with her hand on the door and let her glare convey her exasperation. "Clint, I'm going to have to listen to that crap from everyone else for the next eight-plus months. I don't need to hear it from you."

His face scrunched up as he thought about it. "Ouch. Stark is going to have a field day. Maybe Kara could make him see how it makes you feel to shut him up."

Her mood lifted for the first time that morning. Or rather, for the first time since after he'd awoken her with a lovely bout of oral worship. "That is brilliant. I'll ask her. We'll be proactive and shut him down before he gets in the habit."

Bruce smiled as they met him in the corridor. "Good, I'm not late," he said. "Do they have those sunken baths in every room?"

Clint shrugged. "In all the VIP guest chambers I think. At least, we had one in the rooms I was sharing with Cap and Tony before and Nat and I had one last night."

"It was amazing. The mechanism for circulating the water is ingenious. Tony should try something like that."

"He took pictures and made lots of notes once his suit got recharged, so he just might."

"If he does it for his floor, he'd better do it for the rest of us…do you think he'd fall for a threat of me getting angry with him?"

Natasha smirked. "No, but we can describe it to Pepper; she'll make him do it for everyone."

"I'll leave the strategy to you." They followed the servant in companionable silence until they reached the hall where they'd eaten dinner the previous night. "Anybody else starved? I'm not sure why I am, we ate well last night. Maybe it's the place?"

"Then I'd better not spend too much time here," she said. "I'll get as big as a house."

"Well, uh. You might be getting a bit bigger than you want anyway," the scientist said hesitantly.

"Bruce, ixnay on the regnancypay ommentscay," Clint muttered.

"Hawk, pig Latin, seriously?" she asked.

"Sorry, babe. I just thought…"

"Don't." Natasha sighed. "Sorry. I know you're trying to be sensitive, but you're not that kind of man. Your sensitivity is all in your heart not in your speech."

He shrugged. "Nice to know you think I've got some." Clint grinned when she lightly backhanded him in the chest. "Yeah, Nat. I love you too."

She turned to glare at Banner who was grinning but silent. "I wasn't going to say a word," he promised.

"Good."

… …

Thor tried to smile as his brother and his sister by marriage joined him and the Warriors Three in the small dining hall. The pair was hand in hand and smiling at each other happily. He was glad for them, truly, but he could not contain the pang of envy he felt. Seeing their happiness in each other was what had brought him to the realization that while he felt much for Jane, it was not the depth of feeling one had for their other half. Perhaps he should look at it as Loki and Kara had done him a favor and saved him from making a mistake and ruining both his life and that of the mortal woman. But still…he longed for that happiness. "Good morning, Loki, Kara. Did you sleep well?"

The two turned as one and smiled at him, Kara more enthusiastically than Loki, though considering their history he was very glad to have any smile at all from his brother. "We did, thank you brother," Loki responded. Thor finally found a genuine smile. There had been no hesitation whatsoever from Loki in calling him brother. "After I finally allowed her to go to sleep, that is."

"Loki, stop teasing," Kara scolded. "You were the one who insisted we had to go to bed and get some rest." She winked and Thor stared at her mischievous expression. "I have to have a bath like that back on Midgard," she told him. "It's the ultimate in decadence; you can never have too much luxury in the bathroom."

"Much of its workings depend on a combination of architecture and magic, my sister. I do not know if such can be duplicated on Midgard."

"Well, if science can find a way to do it, I'm going to twist Tony's arm until I've got one."

Thor frowned. "You would harm him over a bath?"

"That's not meant literally, Thor," Loki told him. "Kara meant that she will keep bothering Stark until he provides what she wishes."

"What are we bothering Tony about now?" Thor turned to see the remaining visiting members of the Avengers enter; Dr. Banner grinning as he asked the question.

"The sunken bath in Loki's chambers," Kara began.

"Our chambers," her husband interrupted.

"Whatever. _Our_ chambers, the sunken bath, I want one, pretty desperately."

"Ah, yes, us too. Well, Natasha and I at any rate. Barton has yet to weigh in on the idea."

"I'm all for it," the Hawkeye said. "It will be safer for Nat once she's in the last trimester. I know she doesn't need it," he said as the other assassin frowned at him. "But it will make me feel a hell of a lot better."

"Then it's settled," Kara said. "We'll gang up on Tony until he builds us baths like these."

Thor grinned. The Man of Iron did not stand a chance. "Since all is settled, let us eat. The company of warriors will be ready to journey to Jötunheim shortly; we'd best be ready to join them."

"We? Are you coming along, Thor? Did the All-Father approve it?" Loki asked.

He sighed. Loki still wasn't easily addressing Odin as father. "No. I misspoke. Hogun and Fandral will accompany you and our friends from Midgard. Helblindi made it quite clear that I was unwelcome. I cannot say that I blame him."

"If he didn't need me to bring the Casket and to publicly renounce my claim on his throne, I would be even less welcome. Perhaps things will change once the ice fields are restored and we can establish a true and fair treaty."

"I do have hope of that, Loki, as does our father." He looked directly into his brother's eyes as he spoke, hoping to gauge his reaction.

Loki smiled. "Good. I understand that Laufey was unwilling to negotiate a meaningful treaty. Perhaps Helblindi will be more reasonable so that father will have one less problem to deal with." His brother come up behind him and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "And yes, I do know why you stared at me as you spoke. You need to be less obvious when you are testing the waters."

He blushed at the gentle rebuke. But it _was_ gentle and as private as Loki could make it under the circumstances. "Thank you, brother," he murmured as softly as he could manage. "I will work on that." He grinned as Loki clapped him on the shoulder and turned to seat his lady before taking his place beside Thor.

"Well, then. Let us eat."

… …

"I thought you said you were not going with us?" Loki asked Thor when they headed for the Bifröst.

"I am taking the company there and then returning and taking you and the Avengers after. Once you are all in Jötunheim, I will return here. Heimdall will listen for your call so that I may return for you once your mission there is completed. He will also keep an eye on your progress and alert us should you be betrayed."

"Or should I do the betraying?" Loki asked bitterly.

"I do not expect such," Thor retorted. "Nor does our father. We know you have every intention of doing right by the Jötunn people. What we do not know is how many of them may wish revenge for Laufey enough to disobey Helblindi."

Loki sighed. "True. While their council advised my half-brother that I was well within my rights to kill our sire, some still may take it amiss. I thank you for your concern, Thor, but I do think we can manage any or all of the Jötnar without further help from Asgard. Father is sending a full company and while they are supposedly to oversee my behavior, we both know it is out of concern for my and Kara's safety. Added to that, we have three of Midgard's greatest heroes along. We shall be fine." Kara cleared her throat and he frowned down at her. "I was not forgetting you. I said _we _have them, which means I was speaking of us as a couple, not ignoring you."

She rolled her eyes. "You were ignoring the fact that we could probably kick the entire realm's collective ass between us."

"Only if you must release my power." He grimaced. "Though once you are forced to set even one of them afire I think the rest would prostrate themselves and beg for your mercy." He shrugged. "Regardless, Thor. We will have any situation well in hand, you need not worry."

Thor snorted. "Tell that to mother."

"If the boot fits…"

"Brother, I am not dissembling. Our mother is quite uneasy about this trip. Take care, something is likely amiss."

Loki frowned thoughtfully. If Frigga was uneasy it meant that she'd had a vision that was too unclear to see the outcome with any degree of certainty. He wanted to reach for the bracelet on his left wrist but quelled the impulse. "We will be on our guard at all times, brother." He smiled as Thor shook his head slightly. "I promise that I will not let my pride stand in the way of calling Heimdall for help if we cannot handle any situation that may arise. I do have my lady's safety to think of and that outweighs even my vanity."

Thor's jaw dropped. "You…you made me a promise."

"I did. Do not become accustomed to it; it will not likely happen again."

"I am not that much of a fool. Very well then, let me get the company across; then I will return for you and our friends.

… …

Bruce grinned as he struggled to fasten the snug arctic rated body armor. He still wasn't sure how his other would deal with it if he was forced to let him loose. Hopefully he'd retain enough of his mind to not rip the stuff off, otherwise he was going to freeze his ass off, possibly literally, once he changed back. At least he didn't have to worry about it being ripped off from the change itself thanks to that nifty amulet. He turned as a hand clapped him on the back. "You got it?" Clint Barton asked.

"I think so," he told the archer as the last snap clicked shut. "Can you look it over to make sure?"

He turned around as his fellow Avenger looked him over and prodded at the different fasteners. "Looks good to me; I just hope Thor gets his butt back here soon, it's getting warm in here."

"Enjoy it," Loki said. "You'll be far too cold soon enough." The half Jötunn prince had shifted forms and stripped down to his leather pants and boots. His blue skin with its raised markings had a startlingly barbaric effect, even if he had seen it before. The man was unarmed, which confused the hell out of Bruce, and he was carrying a gothic looking chest.

"Loki, no weapons?" he asked.

"Kara has my scepter," Loki replied. "In this form, my knives are unnecessary."

"Why is that?" Natasha asked as she strapped her handguns to the outside of her body armor.

"I'll show you once we've arrived. There are too many spectators here and I have no wish to alarm them any further." He had a point. There were a number of Asgardians milling about to watch their departure, and likely, Bruce guessed, to see their prince turn blue. The gasps from the crowd would have been comical if Loki hadn't seemed so miserable.

They turned as Kara stepped up to them and wrapped an arm around Loki's bared waist. She'd removed the Kevlar plates from her arctic gear and was wearing the insulating portion under the Hellbringer armor. Her face plate was still up and the portion of the arctic wear that would normally cover her mouth and nose was also unfastened. "I don't even need to adjust my temperature through all of this stuff," she said.

"Good, then you won't be draining your energy when we reach Jötunheim." Loki frowned down at his wife. "This is hardly proper public behavior," he said softly.

Bruce hid a smile as Kara scowled in response. "What? Married couples aren't allowed public displays of affection?" she asked.

"Well, yes. But…"

"Good." She rose up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. Bruce had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud at Loki's shocked expression. When she finally let him come up for air, the crowd was murmuring quietly. Their expressions, for the most part, were no longer fearful but amused. "There," she said. "Mission accomplished."

Loki was staring at her as though she'd lost her mind. "What mission?" he asked incredulously.

"Making them see you as a man, not as a monster just because you're blue." Bruce couldn't hold his chuckle in as Loki sighed. "Don't be like that, it worked. Now most of them are either feeling sorry for you because I'm so inappropriate or have the 'oh how sweet' vibe going."

"She's right, Loki. I can see it in their faces," he confirmed. "That was a pretty smart move."

"Of course it was, I'm a near genius," Kara told them.

"Depends on what scale you use. You tip over into the genius category in most of them."

"Genius or not," Loki interrupted. "That was…oh for pity's sake are you going to pout at me now?"

"Maybe."

"Fine, whatever." Loki glowered as Bruce snuck a look at Natasha and Clint. The former agents were unsuccessfully fighting grins. "Thank you," the prince said grudgingly.

"You're welcome," Kara said as a blue glow appeared inside the Observatory. "Thor's back."

… …

"Are you ready, my friends?" Thor asked as he approached the group. Loki was already in his Jötunn form. He stole a look at the gathered Æsir. While a few were eyeing his brother warily, most seemed amused for some reason. His eyes narrowed as he noticed his sister's mischievous expression and his brother's apparent exasperation. Ah, Kara had done this, he was certain.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Dr. Banner responded.

"Did you have the company take a defensive position?" Loki asked.

"Fandral and Hogun have it well in hand. Your half-brother had sentinels waiting. They have sent a messenger to him and expect that he will either come himself or send an official delegation to meet you."

"I'm surprised you got that much out of them."

"As was I, but the one in charge was one of the guardsmen that accompanied Helblindi here." He stepped as close as he could without touching his brother's freezing skin. "Take care, Loki. I trust this not."

"I never trust anything."

Thor grinned and braced himself for pain as he threw an arm around Loki's bare shoulders. The cold bit through the metal and leather quickly and he managed a brotherly half hug before he had to withdraw. "I think, in this case, that habit shall serve you well."

Loki's blood red eyes narrowed and he grabbed Thor's sleeve. "You are an idiot," he hissed. "Get to a healer, now."

"Not until after I take you and the others to Jötunheim. It will be fine. I went several hours without treatment before and their touch did much more damage. And look, our people have all relaxed now."

"Thor…"

"Smile, brother, we are being watched. You can be angry with me later."

"I'm not…never mind. Let's get this over with." Loki turned on his heel and held his hand out for his lady. "Why are we using the Observatory?" he asked as Thor led them to it "The Bifröst is not fully repaired."

"No, but Heimdall thought that if we go into the Observatory with the cube, we do not need physical contact to travel in this manner. He proved correct. It's much more convenient for transporting more than a few at a time."

"Ah, good. I was wondering how we were going to manage since only Kara can touch me barehanded with any degree of safety and I must hold on to the casket."

Thor nodded. "I thought as much." He directed the others to stand in the optimal formation for the trip and then took his own place, nodding to the Gatekeeper. "I'll be back shortly, Heimdall."

… …

Natasha dropped to her knees. She really and truly hated this kind of travel. While the medicine Lady Eir had given her before they left the Valhöll had kept her from actually vomiting, the nausea still remained. She willed the feeling down and then accepted Clint's hand to stagger to her feet. As they walked out from behind an outcropping of ice covered boulders they found a line of giant blue scantily clad men facing them, every last one holding a spear of ice. They topped Loki and Thor's height by a good two feet, and unlike Loki, there was no elegance to their sharp features, just menace. "_Bozhe moy_," she said softly.

"Yeah. That was my reaction last time I saw one," Hawk agreed. "The Hulk's bigger, but they make him look like a teddy bear."

"They look…merciless."

"They are," Loki said. "To their enemies. We are here as friends." He took a step forward toward one of the giants who bore body and facial markings very similar to his. "Prince Býleistr, I presume?" He asked as he made a polite half bow.

"I am he. Why is that one here?" Býleistr said, pointing at Thor.

"Since my magic is bound, as our brother Prince Helblindi was promised, Thor needed to transport us. He will be leaving now."

Býleistr's eyes glowed as they narrowed. "_My_ brother, not yours."

Loki straightened to his full height. Not impressive next to the Jötnar, but Natasha decided it was more a point of refusing to be intimidated than anything else. "My half-brother, as are you. You can deny it if you wish, it matters not to me."

"You will not have my brother's throne," the Jötnar prince grated.

"Oh for the love of Yggdrasill, are we back to _that _again?" Loki all but snarled. "I have pledged to all of Asgard and to the War Council of all the Nine Realms that I have no interest in Helblindi's crown. Did he not tell you this?"

"You are named god of Lies. He is a fool to believe you."

Loki took two measured steps forward. "Are you doubting the wisdom of your crown prince? Do you mean to take the throne in his place?" Býleistr was silent. "Answer me!" Loki roared in a voice that literally shook icicles from the rocks that surrounded them. All of the Jötnar stepped back at his tone; Natasha swore she saw fear in their eyes as they darted glances to the chest Loki carried, the thing Thor had said was called the Casket of Ancient Winters. "Yes," Loki said far more calmly. "The Casket answers to me. Yes, even with my magic bound I would be a formidable foe. Yet I would rather be a friend to the people of Jötunheim. I would rather they prosper. I would rather see the elder of my half-brothers crowned their king, though I am the one who has earned the right by the old ways."

Býleistr looked shaken. "I will take you to Helblindi once that one is gone," he finally said in a subdued tone as he pointed again at Thor.

Loki nodded. "Thor, go home. We will let Heimdall know when the repairs are done so that you may then return us to Asgard." Thor looked at all of them then nodded silently. He stepped back to the point where they had appeared. A column of blue enveloped him and he was gone.

… …


	51. Chapter 51

**Author's Notes:** I gave my US President a fictional name comprised of parts of the names of two fictional television presidents whose portrayal I enjoyed. Mine looks and sounds much like our current president. If you can't guess which two fictional presidents/shows I'm honoring, let me know!

I'm messing with mythology and Marvel canon at this point. There is no true documentation (that I could find) regarding what kind of giants were in Odin's background or who Laufey's parents were. I also added an uncle for Odin who was neither related nor had frost giant blood in the original mythos. But, that's my "artistic interpretation", so I'm going with it!

Pay close attention, the genealogy is a bit convoluted, but important later. FOR THOSE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH FOLLOWING IT, CHECK MY PROFILE NOW FOR A LINK TO MY TUMBLER CHART!

… …

Odin looked up sharply. "What's wrong, husband?" Frigga asked from her comfortable chaise where she leafed through a favorite book.

"I felt something; a power I haven't felt since I was a small boy and my grandsire Búri ruled. It's worrisome."

"What kind of power? Perhaps it is related to my…hmm."

"The uneasiness that you will not discuss with me?" he asked as she trailed off into silence.

"Yes."

He thought about the surge of power he had felt and its likely source. "It could well be, my lady." His attention was caught by a sudden swell of the flames in the fireplace. He focused his attention and listened for Heimdall's call. "Thor is on his way back. He's using Mjölnir; apparently this thing has disturbed him as well." They waited quietly, the rustle of a page occasionally being turned the only disruption.

The door to the study opened and Thor strode in. "Father, I have news."

"Have you forgotten all courtesy, my son?" Frigga chided.

"Ah, no mother, my apologies. The most amazing thing happened on Jötunheim."

"Has your brother already opened the Casket?" Odin asked.

Thor gave a short bark of laughter. "No, he but held it and it glowed. His voice gained power enough to shake the ground and he appeared to briefly grow in stature."

That was not unexpected if the power surge he'd felt was what he feared. "What happened?"

"Býleistr was deeply disrespectful and all but outright challenged Loki. And I swear to you, father, Loki was polite and courteous in his response. He simply asked if Býleistr intended to take the throne in Helblindi's place based on the lack of trust he seemed to have in his elder's judgment. When Býleistr remained silent, Loki demanded that he answer. That's when it happened."

"How did they respond?"

"They staggered, well, we all did, but the Jötnar fell back two paces as though a giant hand had shoved them and then every last one of them cowered before Loki. Býleistr's attitude changed immediately."

"As well it should. Sit down, my son. Let me tell you a tale of your great-grandfather, Bölþorn, the Jötnar father of my mother, Bestla, and her brother Mimir the wise."

"I did not know that you had an uncle, let alone that he was Mimir," Thor began and then frowned. "Wait, one of my great grandfathers was Jötnar?"

"Mimir's relationship to us was little remembered after he was killed many millennia ago. Yes, my mother was half Jötnar as was her brother. It's not much spoken of, though you knew we bear the blood of giants."

"Well, yes, but…"

"Bölþorn was the first Jötnar sorcerer." Odin waited for an angry outburst that never came, though his son's expression was one of betrayed consternation.

"Why have you allowed the people of Asgard to hate that from which we, in part, have sprung?" Thor finally asked. "I do not understand this."

"Laufey and his father Thrym tried to destroy both Asgard and Midgard although Thrym himself was part Æsir, though he oft denied it. Many Æsir, Vanir and Ljósálfar died to prevent their victory. The atrocities those two and their armies committed were without number; they earned the name of monster. Unfortunately, our people began to think all Jötnar were like that. It was a way for them to deal with their fear and there was no halting it." Thor shook his head mutely at the explanation.

"Thor, those were trying times. You knew only the tail end of them," Frigga said. "Please do not make the mistake of thinking your experiences are enough to encompass the whole horror of what they did. It cannot. Mistake or no, we sheltered you from it."

"And Loki," their son said quietly.

"Ah yes, Loki, who, it appears, is Bölþorn's great-great -grandson and our cousin of different degrees."

"What makes you so sure of this? The Avengers have not yet completed their DNA testing."

"Bölþorn was the last true master of the Casket of Ancient Winters, it is an inherited ability. His daughter Bestla, my mother, had no affinity for it, but Mimir did though he never mastered it. Both siblings were powerful in sorcery; Mimir fathered a daughter named Bera who was both a sorceress and a shape-shifter. We do not know what became of Bera, but when she left us, she was with child by an Æsir warrior who feared to admit he'd been intimate with the queen's niece. My mother was convinced that her niece would have a daughter and she was rarely wrong about such things. When assuming other shapes, Bera found her Jötnar form easiest, though she could on take others of the same mass. I've no doubt any daughter of hers could have shifted to a Jötnar form if they had taken refuge in Bölþorn's homeland."

"My brother is my cousin," Thor said in a wondering tone.

Odin frowned. "_That_ is all you take away from what I've told you?"

"No," Thor retorted. "But that does have significance to me. Does it not to you?"

"Yes, of course. Loki is not only our family by adoption, but by blood. I am pleased as well."

"So, tell me what does this affinity with the Casket of Ancient Winters do?"

"Both Mimir and Bera had an affinity to it. I suspect that Loki has inherited Bölþorn's mastery of it. There is a prophesy of the Casket finding a new master, though it gives conflicting accounts of what might happen once that master arises. You see, the Casket of Ancient Winters is not only capable of unleashing catastrophic arctic storms, it also can, when wielded by one who can master it, provide a magical boost to that individual's natural attributes. In Loki's case, it would make his every word more convincing and powerful as well as increasing his strength, other natural abilities and when it is not bound, his magic."

"So this is why the Norns felt that he would turn the tide for whichever side he chose during Ragnarök." Thor's eyes narrowed and he glared at him. "You fear him, father."

"I fear _for _him. This is a terrible temptation and I do not know if it is one that he can resist." Odin sighed. "I do not even know that it is one from which I could turn away were I gifted with it."

"I think you underestimate our son," Frigga soothed. "He has a good heart."

"He is one who has endured much pain at the hands of many. Revenge…"

"Revenge is _nothing_ next to love. Had this happened before, I agree, he would have been lost to us. But now I know he will triumph over the temptation."

… …

Tony collapsed on his silk-sheeted mattress and groaned. His still damp hair was leaving a wet spot, but he really didn't give a rat's ass after being up the whole damn night trying to get all of the hay and its residue out of the Mark IX and off of his body. "After five showers and two baths I _finally_ feel clean. Jarvis, how much hay was in that damn suit?"

"Eighteen point seven five pounds, approximately one quarter of a small square bale, Mr. Stark."

"Fucking Loki. Bastard probably cackled all the way to Asgard."

"I believe it was Princess Kara who was laughing, sir."

He grimaced at the memory of Kara down on the floor laughing so hard tears streamed down her cheeks. "Yeah, I guess it was. Is he going to pull something like this every time I use a snarky nickname?"

"Was that a rhetorical question, sir?"

"Um, nooo."

There was a pause before Jarvis responded. "Based on your past actions and their consequences, if you do not make a serious attempt to amend the behavior, there is a seventy-five percent probability that Prince Loki will respond with another event designed to cause you extreme discomfort."

"Christ. I am so screwed."

"Mr. Stark, Agent Hill is on the line for you."

"Shit. Okay, what the hell; put her through, my day can't get too much worse." He waited for the click that signified a call being connected. "Maria, long time no chat, what's up?"

"That's what I want to know, Stark. You were supposed to report to HQ four hours ago," the annoyed voice of Fury's second in command snapped.

"I had more pressing issues."

"I want specifics."

"I literally had hay stuck up my ass; is that specific enough for you or do you need to know that it was alfalfa and not clover?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Obviously I missed whatever you wanted me at HQ for, so why are you bothering me now?"

There was a rustling sound, followed by the thump of a closing door, and then all background noise ceased. "I heard you brought a real live elf back from Asgard, is that true?"

Tony grinned. Fury was keeping his shadow in command in the dark. Sweet. "Actually, I brought a dwarf and a hobbit. Why, you want in on a kinky threesome?"

"Stark! You are a perverted…"

He snickered and tuned her out until her rant abated. "Hey, you asked me a question I can't answer. If Fury wanted you to know what I did or did not bring back from Asgard, he would have told you."

"Damn it, Stark. Throw me a bone, here."

He thought about it. "Okay, I'll confirm that I did _not _bring lover boy back with me. The Æsir Casanova remained in Asgard with Thor."

A deep sigh was the only response for several long moments. Just as he was about to tell Jarvis to close the connection, Hill spoke again. "Thank God," she said in a heartfelt tone before she hung up.

Tony groaned. He wasn't going to get to sleep any time soon. "Jarvis, get Fury on the line. He needs to know Hill is sneaking around behind his back."

… …

Haakun stared out of the window of the small palace. Unlike the Valhöll, this building was white. The architecture was simplistic, yet pleasing to the eye and the green spaces and flower gardens beckoned visitors that were discouraged by walls, fences and armed guards. Mortal rulers were far more vulnerable than Odin and Frigga, so the precautions were likely a necessity. Hearing footsteps in the corridor, he stood politely to greet the delegation that strode into the room. First in the door was Captain Rogers. The hero had dressed in the predominately blue uniform that Haakun noted echoed the theme of the flag that stood in the room and also flew from a tall pole on the spacious grounds. He was followed by a number of strong looking men in dark suits who all sported wired devices in their ears; probably a security detail. A tall mortal, though not quite his own or Prince Loki's height, with skin the shade of Heimdall's and eyes the color of Tony Stark's stepped forward. "I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting," the man said. "Our military leaders are a bit flustered by all of this. You'd have thought that after New York, they'd be happy to welcome extraterrestrial allies, or at least I would have."

The man looked exasperated, but his smile was genuine and open. Haakun frowned at Captain Rogers and looked pointedly between him and the mortal's leader. Rogers flushed. "Oh, I'm sorry." He turned to his leader first, as was polite. "President Palmer, this is First Councilor Haakun of Asgard, god of the Hunt. Lord Haakun, this is Josiah Palmer, President of the United States of America, the country that the Avengers call home and one of the most influential countries on Earth…uh, Midgard."

"Welcome, Lord Haakun," the president said as he glanced around the room. His eyes settled on Prince Nyvorlas who was standing by the window, still staring out at the grounds. The Ljósálfar hadn't so much as looked up as the group had entered the room. The mortal blinked in surprise and then squared his shoulders. "And who might this be?" he asked in an even tone.

Proving he was listening, Nyvorlas abandoned the window and moved to stand beside him. "This is Prince Nyvorlas of the Ljósálfar. His home, Álfheim, is one of the three most powerful of the other eight realms. His Highness accompanied us to Midgard, your realm, to assist Princess Kara with her empathic shielding techniques and has stayed to represent his Queen in our negotiations."

"Welcome Prince Nyvorlas." The president frowned. "Wait…_Princess _Kara?"

"Our newest Avenger, Hellbringer, Mr. President," Rogers supplied. The man stared at the hero with a confused expression. "Uh, she, um…" he trailed off and looked at Haakun helplessly.

"Why don't we sit and I'll give you an overview of what happened while your heroes were in Asgard," Haakun offered. "Then we can discuss how our negotiations should proceed."

"Sounds like a plan." He directed them to seats that sat off to the side of the oval shaped room and then turned to the security team. "Gentlemen, I suggest you wait outside. I'm sure you can agree that Captain America is sufficient protection for the American president."

… …

"Can you do that?" Kara whispered with an uneasy glance at the escort of Jötunn as they trudged through the icy tundra to Thrymheim, Jötunheim's capital. Fandral, Hogun and the Æsir warriors trailed behind them and the Avengers. She had her visor up and the face protection removed as she'd decided the combination made her too warm. He'd allowed it after securing her promise that the visor would go down as soon as they noticed anything more amiss.

"The spears?" he asked, speaking in Midgard's English tongue, one the Jötunn warriors would not understand. She nodded. "Yes." He smiled as he thought about the power surge he had felt from the Casket of Ancient Winters…when he hadn't even raised the lid. "And a great deal more, I suspect."

"Loki?" He turned his head to look back at Romanov as the woman opened a channel on the communication system provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark. "You said you'd show us your weapons once we arrived."

"You're seeing them," he told her, nodding at the nearest of the Jötunn. "I can create a bladed weapon of ice such as they carry. I can also fashion a bludgeoning weapon hard enough that it will not shatter on impact with anything less unbreakable than Mjölnir or Captain Roger's shield." He smiled and glanced down at the Casket. "And this also can be used as a weapon; though I would be loath to use it as such for anything but the direst emergency. The cost to the land would be too great."

Very little of her face was visible beneath the arctic gear, but Loki could imagine the Black Widow's lips curving into one of her rather unsettling smiles. "Then why do we need them?" she asked, indicating the warriors led by Hogun and Fandral.

"They were originally meant to reassure the Jötunn people of _my_ good behavior. But we shall consider them a deterrent to betrayal by our hosts; we do not appear nearly as formidable as we are. Having Asgard's finest as an honor guard will lessen the chance that we are seen as easy prey. I would rather accomplish what was agreed upon and leave without violence; we've had more than enough of that." If there was going to be a betrayal, no doubt Býleistr would be the source. His half-brother's posture had shifted back to confidence as they walked. That did not bode well.

The mortal redhead made a soft snorting noise over the device. "You don't think we'll get out of here without a fight, do you?"

He grimaced. "The possibility has occurred to me," he said.

"Good to know."

Her matter-of-fact response was strangely reassuring. "Dr. Banner?"

"What happened to calling me Bruce?" Loki sighed in response. "What do you need?"

"I hope I'm wrong but I believe the one wearing a silver torque may have an unpleasant surprise planned for us," he told them, avoiding saying his half-brother's name as that would catch the Jötunn's attention amid what sounded like babble to them. "While you may well need to…get angry, I wanted you warned. If you can manage it, wait for a signal from myself or Kara unless someone in our group seems to be in imminent danger."

Bruce chuckled. "No guarantees, but I'll do my best."

"No shooting anyone either?" Barton chimed in.

"Restraint is our goal." Loki checked to see that all of the other Jötnar were looking away from them before using hand signals to update Hogun and Fandral as they'd refused the ear pieces. The two nodded. He schooled his features into an indifferent expression. They'd prepared all they could.

… …

The meetings with the American's president and later with a group he had, for some odd reason, called a 'cabinet' had gone well. This country would support an alliance with Asgard and had agreed to coordinate any necessary military efforts with them. Once they'd heard the terms of Loki's sentence, they'd also agreed to drop all charges against him in return for Asgard allowing Thor to continue to aid the Avengers should a situation require extra help. Several members of the group had been supportive of an idea Lady Pepper had proposed on the flight to the capital: a highly publicized wedding of Loki and Kara in the mortal style to desensitize the population to what he'd done and romanticize his return. One of the men had called it 'a brilliant public relations strategy'. They were now on their way to New York City, the scene of the crime, as it were. A meeting had been set up with the German Ambassador to the United Nations in an attempt to obtain an agreement with that country to dismiss charges for Loki's action in their city of Stuttgart. "I'm not so certain Loki and Kara will care for their wedding here to be a public spectacle," Nyvorlas interrupted Haakun's musings.

"If that is what it will take to ease his reintroduction to the locals, he will do it and be glad of the opportunity."

"Or else?"

"Please, your highness. Loki was raised a prince of Asgard, he has always expected the important events in his life to be public. He will not need coercion."

Nyvorlas snorted. "His lady might."

"She will understand that it is for her husband's benefit." He eyed the Ljósálfar prince, but Nyvorlas made no further comment.

"Kara will enjoy having a real wedding she can plan for," Lady Pepper told them from her seat in the row behind them. "I can't wait to see her face when Loki makes his official proposal."

"I do not understand this proposal business," Sif said. "They are already wed in Asgard; she can hardly refuse him here."

"It's the romance of it," Rogers explained. "Every girl dreams about it. Well, most girls, I guess there's a few that don't, at least these days."

"Steve, there have always been a few that don't, they just weren't so open about it back when you were young," Lady Pepper said.

The soldier shrugged. "I guess. I'll admit I probably didn't want to know. But I'm trying to be more open about things I don't understand." His grin was wry. "And God knows there's a heck of a lot I don't understand, especially now."

Lady Pepper reached across the aisle and patted the man's arm. "I think you're doing great."

Nyvorlas was frowning at a sheet of paper that the soldier's lady had given them before she had left them for New York the night before. "What is a 'Rueben Sandwich'?" he asked.

Rogers' eyes rolled up and he let his head hit the back of the seat as he moaned. "Only the third best thing to ever hit your taste buds. But Rueben's Delicatessen closed while I was on ice."

"They're still made all over the city, Steve. Didn't you discover that?" Lady Pepper asked, sounding amused.

"What; really? Oh neat. Nyvorlas, we'll get Beth to take us someplace that makes them right. You can't miss tasting a Rueben. What else is on the list?"

"New York Style Pizza, something called Coney Island Chili Dogs…do mortals really eat dogs?"

"Well, no, at least not in the U.S.; they're talking about a kind of sausage link that they top with ground beef in a very spicy tomato based sauce with grated cheese and maybe onions on top, all served on a bread bun. Messy but really tasty; it's not very healthy though. Come to think of it, the Rueben isn't either."

"Virtually immortal, Rogers; I'm not concerned about my health."

"Oh, okay. I don't really have to worry, but I like to set a good example." He grinned. "I can make an exception for out of town guests, though."

… …

A series of what looked like short ice covered mountains dominated the frozen landscape. Clustered around the base of these large hills were clumps of evergreen trees and stone structures. The buildings ran right into the ice, almost as though they were porticos and the hill/mountain the actual building. Kara peered more closely. "Oh, they _are_ building right into the mountains."

"Glaciers," Loki corrected. "Remnants of them. And yes, Helblindi mentioned that their palace, so to speak, was built within the glaciers."

"Interesting way to make use of your environment. And pretty spectacular looking." Loki gave her an approving nod as she continued speaking in the Asgardian common tongue, which she was assuming at least Býleistr would understand. The younger Jötunn prince turned and frowned down at her. "It is far superior to your Valhöll," he said haughtily.

"It's actually not _my_ Valhöll, I was born on Midgard. But I have to agree, for pure innovation, this is amazing. Though Asgard and the Valhöll are both very elegant and lovely, this has more, I don't know, natural strength to it. Don't you think so, Loki?"

Her normally quick on the uptake husband blinked for a moment before responding. "It certainly does. There's definitely an artistry there; a _stark_ beauty to it." She had to fight not to smirk at the emphasis. Loki thought that Tony Stark's building was a bit of an eyesore, so he'd managed to insult his brothers' people without them having a clue.

Býleistr was giving them an uncertain look. "It suits us," he said with a shrug. "We are not soft like the Æsir." He frowned at her. "Why are you not freezing, woman?"

"You did not give me the opportunity to introduce any of my companions. This is my wife, Princess Kara. She has quite a tolerance for cold, unlike our three mortal companions," Loki told him.

The Jötnar prince's blood red eyes narrowed. "This is the powerful female that my brother spoke of?" It was evident from his tone that he thought even less of Helblindi's judgment than he had before.

Kara grinned and pulled off one of her gauntlets. "Yes, I am," she said as she held out her hand to him. "I'm pleased to meet Crown Prince Helblindi's brother." She waited, looked at her hand and his pointedly. "Is greeting by touching a new acquaintance's hand not the custom here?"

He growled. "You wish to trap me by forcing me to do you harm so that your husband has an excuse to kill me."

"Not at all," Loki said. "Our brother took her hand, he was not afraid." Býleistr still made no move. "I guarantee you that I will not hold you to blame should she take harm from you touching her hand if you give me the same guarantee," he said testily.

"Don't do it," a grating voice said as another Jötnar, this one wearing a gold torque, emerged from the stone structure. As he approached, Kara recognized Helblindi.

"He would be forsworn, I knew it," Býleistr snarled.

"No, he would not. But you might if the pain startled you into attacking the princess."

"Pain? What pain could an Æsir or Midgardian do to me with the mere touch of her hand?"

"She carries fire such as the giants of Muspelheim could only dream of, kept safely contained so that she may touch near anything without scorching it should she wish it. But when presented with the cold of our skin, her heat automatically fights back."

Býleistr stared at her and then gave Loki a pitying look. "You have a wife you dare not bed?"

Loki laughed. "I bed her frequently. My temperature in this form is not quite so cold as yours, additionally, I can shift to an Æsir form. We do manage quite well, thank you." Kara grinned as she ran her bare hand up Loki's chest and curled it around his neck. "I like to cool off," she said. "And you like playing with fire."

"Minx. Behave yourself." She laughed and pulled away and displayed her unharmed palm to the Jötunn who had gathered closer.

"That is not a fair demonstration," Býleistr claimed. He struck a belligerent pose to match the attitude she could feel through her shields and held out his hand. She shrugged and gently laid her palm against his huge one. Only a few seconds passed before he hissed and pulled his hand away. "That is…it is magic, sorcery. They have lied, Helblindi, his power is not bound."

"It is no lie, brother. I agree it's magic, but it is a magic of her body, not of Loki's sorcery. Calm yourself." Helblindi turned to her. "Princess Kara. Might I have your word that you will not intentionally cause harm to any of my people?"

"You have my word that I will not intentionally cause harm to any of your people unless they are intentionally attempting to cause harm to me or my companions," she agreed.

"That is fair." He turned to look at their group. "I do not know these two," he said, pointing at Bruce and Natasha.

Loki motioned them forward. "This is Natasha Romanov, known as the Black Widow, she is the fellow warrior and partner of the Hawkeye whom you met before. This gentleman is Bruce Banner, a warrior scholar. Hawkeye and the Black Widow are here as Kara's personal honor guard. Dr. Banner is here to help us understand what is happening with the ice fields and how best to fix the damage I have caused to them. But make no mistake, he is also a warrior in his own right, though he looks it not." Helblindi gave Bruce a skeptical look and Býleistr chuckled outright. "Do not laugh. He is the one who subdued me on Midgard when I had all of my power. He does not always appear so…innocuous."

"Just don't make him angry," Kara couldn't resist adding. "You wouldn't like him when he's angry."

… …

Thor sat sideways in the window seat of his sitting room, one leg bent, the other foot on the floor as he stared out over Asgard and the plain that had so recently seen horrific battle. Almost everything he thought he'd known about himself was a lie. Was this how Loki had felt? No, it had to have been worse for his brother. Thor knew quite well that he'd been the favorite, not just of his father but of the entire court. And he was still mostly Æsir and looked it. He'd always felt loved, Loki, not so much. Letting his head drop back against the wall behind him he sighed. "I owe you yet another apology, my brother."

"Thor, why do you sigh so?" Volstagg said, for once not around a mouthful of food. Thor eyed him carefully. His tunic was clean, not so much as a grease spot or crumb upon it. Not that this was totally unusual. When there was a direct threat, Volstagg was well prepared and could and did keep his mind off of food until it was safe to relax. But they were under no such threat…were they?

"What's happened, my friend?" he asked the red-bearded warrior. "Has Heimdall reported aught that I do not know?"

The big man chuckled. "No, not at all. I spent a long and happy night with my family. Guðrún sends her best."

"Ha! Guðrún sends me a message not to let you near any more battles. I know the lady well."

"You do, indeed. But we wander from the subject…what has you so disturbed, Thor. This gloom and doom is not like you."

"There are secrets upon secrets in Asgard, lies upon lies. Or rather, omission upon omission. Tis no wonder Loki lost his way. I barely keep to mine."

Volstagg narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "The All-Father finally told you, did he? It is about time."

"Told me what?" As much as Thor wanted to believe his old friend knew the truth, he was too familiar with Loki's ways of getting information from him to assume.

"About your bloodline." Volstagg stared at him in return for a moment and then laughed boisterously. "We are at an impasse. You will not tell me what you have discovered and I cannot tell you what I know lest we speak of different secrets altogether. Ah me."

"We spoke of my great-grandfather, Bestla's father. Are we still on the same subject?"

Tugging at his flowing beard he nodded. "Then you know that you have more in common with your adopted brother than you thought."

"And more than you thought," Thor said with a tired grin. "Why, knowing this, did you allow me to go to Jötunheim like I did?"

"Laufey was a monster, he deserved to die. Why not by your hands? If any Æsir could do it, I thought that your blood might make you capable of withstanding his power. Obviously Loki's more so, but I did not know that then."

"You do not think me a monster?"

"No, nor do I think this of Loki. Well, I would not have save for what he tried to do, though I now know he was coerced so I still do not."

It took him a minute to work out Volstagg's convoluted sentence. "It is never the blood, nor the race, it is intentional and willing actions that make the monster."

"True, my friend." The hirsute warrior fiddled with his belt. "Why did Odin tell you now? What has happened?"

"The power of the Casket of Ancient Winters has awakened…for Loki."

Bushy red eyebrows rose up into the other man's hairline. "But…that means that Loki must be descended from Bölþorn as well." A huge grin broke out. "Hah. I thought his way of thinking seemed familiar. You never knew Mimir when he lived, did you?"

"No, he continued only through my father's sorcery by the time of my birth. You are showing your age, _old_ friend."

"Someone has to keep a responsible eye on you young pups," he said. "Mimir was wiser than any I've known, though his ways were harsh. He could think, that man. His backup plans had plans."

"Much like Loki. Though my brother's decisions have often been unwise."

"He is young. Mimir lost his head, well, his body over his unwise personal decisions. Yet his wisdom has been responsible for Asgard prospering. Perhaps Loki's wisdom will do the same when you become king."

"I pray that he keeps head and body attached to do so," Thor grumbled. "I do not wish to deal with a sister denied the greater part of her husband." Volstagg joined him in laughter as he pushed off of the window seat and they left his chambers in search of a meal.

… …

They emerged out the other side of the fractured glacier that had been hollowed out to make an absolutely fascinating palace. Bruce was amazed at the ingenuity. The sky was brighter on the other side, the cloud cover was almost nonexistent. He peered into the distance. "Hawkeye," he asked over the comm. "Is it my imagination or does the ice kind of disappear about a mile out?"

"Just over a mile and a half. Looks like mudflats out there. The trees are kind of leaning."

"And that, my friends, is what I'm here to fix. The ice should continue solidly, all the way to those mountains. These trees are bred to thrive in ice. In the mud, they'll fall and die, leaving this plain barren," Loki told them.

Bruce whistled softly. "That would change the weather patterns of the entire region. Entire species could die off, almost overnight."

"Definitely overnight when you look at it from a long-lived race's perspective. Yes, I all but destroyed them in a fit of pique." Bruce watched Kara wrap an arm around Loki's waist.

"You'll fix it. Stop kicking yourself. It's definitely your responsibility but it wasn't your fault. Got it?" she said.

"Yes, love. I've 'got it'," Loki responded. He returned to the strange language that made Bruce's head itch, probably a result of the magic Odin had used on them so that they could understand the races of the other realms. "My brother, we're going to walk out to where the ice dies so that we can determine where it is best to release the Casket's power. Do you have any objections?"

The Jötnar wearing the gold torque, Helblindi, shook his head. "Two of my guard will go with you. I do not wish any of my people to mistake you for an enemy." He turned and frowned at his younger brother. "Býleistr, I need you to attend me. We have food distribution to see to." Býleistr nodded and turned back into the palace, glaring down at the other Avengers and at the Æsir as he went. "Do not mind him," Helblindi said. "He worries for our people and has little trust. He believed too strongly in our father's lies about the Æsir." His grin was unsettling as he turned to Loki. "As you no doubt believed too strongly in Odin's lies about the Jötunn."

"I believed in many lies until they all came crashing down around my head," Loki agreed then gestured toward the distant mud. "You see the result. Midgard also felt the brunt of that betrayal. I will go there to right my wrongs to them once Jötunheim is restored."

"Fix the damage you have caused and then we will talk monetary recompense. I do not wish to bankrupt you, but my people will need to eat, clothe and house themselves until the land can support them again."

"I consider that a priority. I do not need more death and suffering on my conscience."

… …

Raj Nassar looked up as the blonde waitress set his chicken salad sandwich in front of him. "I'm concerned that you are developing a conflict of interest," he said quietly then picked up the overstuffed baguette and took a small bite.

"Whose side are we supposed to be on?" she asked in return. "Isn't our mission 'Peace and Security for All'? I can't see how this relationship would interfere with that. You know the man; is there anyone more balanced, more even-handed, more interested in justice than him?"

He swallowed the amazingly delicious morsel and then took a sip of the fresh squeezed lemonade before answering. "You have a good point. However, the Regents may not see it that way." He frowned. "Go take care of your other tables before you attract notice." Staring out at the bustling city street and then up at the newly repaired tower that boasted the word 'AVENGERS' at its peak, he carefully weighed the possible reactions to this news. The other members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Council of Regents did not know the identity of his intended successor. By the time they would need to know, the dynamic between the two organizations would likely have changed dramatically and this relationship might then be considered an asset rather than a conflict. Taking another bite of his sandwich he allowed the flavors to take his mind off of the issue, or perhaps the non-issue. The tarragon and the pineapple contrasted sharply with the mildness of the chicken. The chef here was an underrated genius.

"Can I get you anything else? My resignation, perhaps?" the waitress asked with a bit of an edge to her voice.

Raj looked up at her in surprise. "You would do that?"

"Funny thing about love," she replied. "It will make you do things that others find foolish, but that you find as necessary as breathing."

He smiled. She was right. If his love hadn't been killed, he would have done anything to stay in the relationship. If he was lucky, one day he'd find that kind of love again. "No, I think I have everything I need. It's fine, just as it is."

Her return smile was sunny. "Thank you, Raj."


	52. Chapter 52

**Author's Notes:** I know, the convoluted genealogy is a bit much. I've posted a chart on Tumblr. The link is on my profile or search for user KieraPSI on Tumblr. All I can say is, what will Helblindi and his brother think when they find out they're part Æsir!

Anybody have any favorite New York foods that Nyvorlas and Sif need to try or a favorite NYC restaurant they want a shout out given to? Food adventures for Sif and Nyvorlas (and Cap to an extent) will be filler for the next chapter or two.

To those who pay attention to such things, I'm combining the names of the Ambassador and the German Mission's First Deputy. I'm changing the names to protect the innocent and not so innocent.

The TV presidents honored were Josiah Bartlett from 'The West Wing' and David Palmer from '24'.

… …

Barbora Seifert stared at the group waiting in the reception area just under the sign that declared 'Ständige Vertretung Deutschlands bei den Vereinten Nationen New York'. As the aide to her country's Ambassador to the United Nations she'd seen a great many odd things, but this had to top them all. First, she had Captain America in her office. Yes, the real war hero; he still looked as young as he did in the historical news reel footage. Then there was Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries; unreal. The other two men were close to two meters tall and were dressed in a style that screamed medieval, and they literally weren't of this planet. The elder had medium brown hair, a sharp blue-eyed gaze and the look of a hardened soldier. The younger was, apparently, an elf. He looked like he'd just stepped off the 'Lord of the Rings' set and could rival Orlando Bloom as Legolas for prettiness. His hair was almost white and his eyes gray under pale upswept brows. A blade of nose with tight nostrils graced a face with high cheekbones. The ears were close to his head and pointed in a way she had to call elegant. Those hard gray eyes were staring straight back at her looking decidedly annoyed as she suddenly recalled her manners. "I'm sorry; I've never seen anyone remotely like you before. I didn't mean to be so rude."

The expression gentled. "You are forgiven, milady," he said in a melodious voice. "I am heartily sick of being stared at, but I thank you for your apology."

Oh good, crisis averted. She smiled uncertainly and looked at the ambassador's door. This was so beyond the experience of a recently graduated student of international relations, even if she had earned a Master's Degree in the field. If this kept up, universities were going to have to start offering a degree in inter_stellar_ relations. "Dr. Berger should be with you shortly." She did her best not to fidget or push back imaginary escaped strands of her long thick hair as she knew damn well it was thoroughly tucked into a braided bun and coated with hairspray. Peter Berger hated distractions and felt that loose hair was a big one.

"Your English is almost unaccented," Ms. Potts said. "Have you been in the U.S. long?"

"Not on this trip. I came here as an exchange student in my teens and then came back and visited with my host family several times. I have a number of friends all over this continent that I keep in close contact with." The strawberry blonde executive nodded and then gave a distracted look to the expensive gold watch that adorned her wrist. "Why don't I check on the ambassador?" she offered and then knocked softly on the door before she made her escape.

"Barbora, what is it?" Dr. Berger asked, sounding distracted as usual.

"Captain America, Ms. Potts, and the delegation from Asgard are still waiting, sir. They seem to be getting a bit impatient."

"Let them wait. I know what they want; they want us to let that criminal off without punishment. Herr Bayer did important work; we cannot allow his death at that maniac's hands to be forgotten."

Barbora did her best not to sigh. Johann Bayer had been a pompous ass. Brilliant, sure, but he was no Tony Stark. "Perhaps they will offer some sort of compensation?"

"What is money next to a brilliant life snuffed out?"

"I did mention that the CEO of Stark Industries is with them? Perhaps technological compensation can be negotiated?"

Peter looked up at her with suddenly narrowed eyes. Obviously that hadn't even occurred to him. Männer, dumme Männer. "Of course I considered that," he claimed. "But they can await our pleasure."

"Of course, Dr. Berger." She turned to go. "Oh, try not to stare too much at the elf. He doesn't like it." Slipping out the door she caught a glimpse of his stunned expression before she closed it behind her.

… …

Sif tried not to gape at the view from the top of Avengers' Tower. The sheer number of huge buildings astounded her. While none of them rivaled the Valhöll for beauty, there were a few that were fascinating. So many buildings. "Kind of overwhelming, isn't it?" Darcy Lewis said.

"A bit, yes. It is difficult to fathom the sheer number of people necessary to have built all of this, let alone to occupy it."

"Yeah, yet with all of that," the girl said, waving an arm at the sea of structures. "We have scads of homeless people eking out an existence on the streets."

She gave the other brunette a sharp look. "Surely you jest?" To her surprise a shake of the head told her it was no joke. "That is shameful. Why do your rulers not see to their welfare?"

The green eyes rolled. "Because our rulers bow only to the mega-rich in the hopes of either becoming mega-rich themselves or to pay them back for making the rulers rich. It's disgusting, but that's how things work here just now."

It was horrid. Someone needed to take these people in hand, to give them guidance, to… She trailed off, horrified at her train of thought. The mortals had to make their own decisions, carve out their own destiny. To think otherwise was madness, as Loki had been, quite literally she now knew, mad. "Then I wish your people the courage to make a change," she finally responded.

"We're kind of lacking in that department, overall." The girl stepped over to the edge of the platform and looked down. "Not counting the residents of this tower, anyhow," she finished with an irrepressible grin.

"Ah, so you are courageous?"

Darcy laughed. "You haven't seen Dr. Banner hulk out, have you?"

She'd heard of it from Hogun, Fandral and Thor, but no, she hadn't seen it. "I have not. Is it truly that impressive?"

"Yeah, and kind of terrifying as he's kind of never sure he can hold his temper and not do it." Sif started at her, not understanding. The girl rolled her eyes again. "I'm dating him. I mean, seriously _with_ him, you know?"

It took a moment for the inference to sink in. "Ah. Definitely courageous, then."

"And I dropped Thor using a Taser the first time he came here."

"What is a Taser?"

"Just a single girl's best friend other than a vibrator," Darcy said with a wicked grin, which wasn't very informative but had Sif wondering just what a vibrator might be.

… …

Banner had measured wind speed and direction; he'd taken soil samples, had studied Helblindi's records of their normal weather patterns and had poured over the manuscript Odin had given them concerning the Casket's use. "I think this would be the best spot," he said.

Loki frowned at him. "We're not fully facing away from the city," he protested.

"No, not entirely, but we can't get far enough back from where the ice begins melting to do it properly from that position. Going at it from this angle means that the brief storm you intend to release will dump the snow and freezing cold on the greatest portion of the plains without hitting the city head on."

He stared at the angles and nodded. Even though this was not his field, Banner had thought it all through carefully. Loki decided to trust his decision. "Very well. Perhaps all of you should return to the fortress with one of the guards. I'm not certain how large the area of effect is immediately surrounding the casket."

"I'm staying," Kara said, with an edge to her voice that told him she was willing to be obstinate about it.

Giving her a look to tell her that he was annoyed but knew that argument was futile, he turned toward the guards. "I need one of you to escort the other Æsir and the mortals to the fortress, my lady will remain with me. The other guard may remain with us as witness to what I do here." He smiled because he knew it would unsettle them. "And to ensure I do only what I've promised, of course."

The two exchanged looks and the taller one, Gymir, nodded. "I will stay, Prince Loki," the giant grated. "Slingard will escort the others."

"Don't you think splitting up is a bad idea?" Barton said over the comm unit.

"I think seeing the three of you and the Æsir frozen solid is a worse idea. The Æsir might survive it, Heimdall did, but you, Natasha and Bruce would not."

"Why don't I stay?" Banner asked. "The worst that could happen is that I would hulk out."

Loki bit his lip. "Doctor, what do you think would happen in this valley should a very loud roar be suddenly voiced?" He waited as the man looked up at the surrounding mountains that were still covered with a thick layer of snow.

"Oh. Definitely a last resort then, got it."

He nodded as Banner joined the others then looked at Hogun. "I know you don't like it, but Kara and I shall have each other's back. We have little choice; both Thor and the All-Father would take it poorly should I let any of you be harmed for taking a foolish risk."

"Be wary," was all the man said as he signaled to the other Æsir and followed Slingard back toward the fortress.

Kara sighed through the comm. The cold had become distracting and she'd finally closed her helm's faceplate. "Don't sigh at me, I haven't argued with you, have I?" he asked.

"No. But you wanted to. Let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Kara, this will be a first round of storms only. I will not be able to fix this much damage so easily."

"Oh. Then why don't I back off a ways first. Then we can find out if we really need to leave the others inside; unless you want to have this argument with them every time we do this."

He really didn't like the idea of having her out of his sight, but she had a point. "All right; take Gymir with you and the two of you can watch my back from there." He looked up at the guard. "I'm trusting you with her. If you betray me, you are betraying Crown Prince Helblindi. Neither of us will be forgiving."

Gymir nodded. "I would sooner be abandoned in Muspelheim than disobey my shield brother."

Loki barely managed to suppress his surprise. Helblindi had not assigned this man to guard his people from them, but to guard them from others. Did the elder of his half-brothers have misgivings as to Býleistr's loyalty? Interesting. "Good." He waited until the two had retreated a good hundred meters then turned in the direction Banner had chosen. Lifting the Casket, he braced it against his abdomen before opening it. When he'd used it to freeze Heimdall the force of the released power had nearly knocked him on his backside. This time he was prepared and managed not to stagger as the howling winds emerged and a wave of cold shot out over the plain. It was a whiteout; he could not see the ground or the distant mountains through it. Counting in his head, he left the Casket open for the recommended time and then forced it shut. The winds still roared, but he was expecting that it would take some time for the magically induced storm to subside.

"I came up to within ten yards of you and still didn't have to pull my heat," Kara said over his earpiece about a quarter hour later. "You shut the Casket before I could get any closer." He nodded, and continued to watch the storm. "Wow, it's still blowing."

"And it will continue to do so for several hours. Let's go inside before the temperature drops any further and starts to drain your energy."

… …

Kara stared out of the thickly glazed narrow window. The ice storm still raged over the plain. Helblindi looked through another window every so often, nodded, and then went back to the reports he was reviewing. "How much longer do you think the storm will last now that the magic has subsided?" she asked.

The Jötunn Crown Prince narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and peered out at the swirl of arctic wind. "Another hour before it tapers off. It is a good start," he decided. Holding up a tablet made of some kind of wax he turned back to them. "The situation on supplies is less desperate than I suspected. We were able to move much from the more prosperous areas of my realm far more quickly because of the weather changes. We will still need some things brought in, but not nearly so much as I'd feared."

"Whatever is needed you will have," Loki told him. "Where has our brother gone?" Kara hid a grin as Loki claimed Býleistr as his brother.

Helblindi snorted. "Off _talking; _that one talks too much and does too little. He wants the glory but does not glory in the work." He shook his head. "He's too much like our father." Oh, that didn't sound good, Kara thought.

"I never knew him."

"Yet you killed him."

Loki nodded. "I did. Tell me, if Laufey had abandoned you to die and you discovered it once you'd come to manhood, what would you have done?"

The giant's grin was predatory and displayed far sharper teeth than Loki possessed, even in this form. "I would have ripped him limb from limb and then carried his head about as a trophy." He waved a surprisingly graceful hand in the air. "I was outraged by your action, but I understand. He fell for the bait he himself set out in the trap. When a hunter forgets in his arrogance that he too can be the prey, he deserves his fate."

"Býleistr does not agree."

"No. He worshipped our father and could never see his faults. Even I did not see him clearly until I began to take the reins of the kingdom. He was no true king, he was a…" he frowned, trailing off into a troubled silence. Kara dropped the edges of her shields and reached out. Helblindi's emotions were in turmoil. His hero had toppled from the pedestal he'd set him upon. "He cared not for our people, only for his crown," the prince finally admitted aloud.

"Thor used to be like that. Fortunately he's learned better. I no longer fear the day when he will take Hlidskjalf in Odin's place."

"I cannot convince you to take Asgard's high seat?" Helblindi asked, sounding half-serious.

"The Æsir would never stand for it." Loki's lips curved into a wry smile. "And I find I have no wish for it, I know not why. It was all I thought about, all I dreamed about when I was a boy. The idea has lost its appeal."

"You would have to share your lady with your people. I think you are far too possessive to do so."

Kara couldn't hold in her laugh. "Very perceptive, your highness," she agreed. "He gets so mad when Thor gives me a familial hug you'd think a dagger was going to appear in my brother-in-law's back at any second."

"That," Loki claimed. "Is because I fear he will forget his strength and do you harm."

"Uh huh, you go ahead and stick to that story."

"I'm…ah, henpecked. Yes, that is the term used on Midgard," Loki said crossly.

"Not these days, it isn't. Now we say 'whipped', for short; and I'll warn you, you don't want me explaining the full saying in public."

Helblindi laughed loudly. "It is a good thing, Loki, having a wife one puts above all others. I want this for myself one day," he assured her scowling husband.

"Was your mother such a wife to our sire?" Loki asked.

His half-brother sobered. "No. We, Býleistr and I, do not know our mother other than she was one of many concubines Laufey kept after he killed his queen, Fárbauti."

The Crown Prince felt not just uncomfortable, but wary. Kara had a bad feeling about this. Loki's eyes had narrowed. "And why did he kill his queen?" he asked mildly.

"He assumed, incorrectly as we now know, that Fárbauti had been unfaithful to him." Helblindi abruptly stood and stared out the window at the still near whiteout conditions. "And that she had been so with one of the enemy as the child she bore, that she claimed to be his, was far too small to be Jötnar, and shifted back and forth between a Jötnar and Æsir appearance."

Loki's eyes closed and she felt the stab of pain that ran through him. "My mother's name was Fárbauti," he murmured.

Helblindi nodded. "You've come here in good faith, Loki. Once I was assured of that, once I felt I could trust you to do as we have been promised, I wanted to have something for you, something of value. What I have for you is knowledge. I have been asking many questions of the elders since I returned home from Asgard." He stood and collected a scroll from a cubbyhole in his desk. "This is everything I have been able to discover about your mother. It isn't much; she was a mystery to our people as well. Our father found her in a remote village, fell for her wisdom and beauty, and made her his queen."

Loki looked up at his half-brother and accepted the scroll. "We had a theory that my mother was an Æsir with the ability to shift forms. But if she lived here for any length of time, she must have had Jötunn blood as well."

"So it would seem." Helblindi frowned as he took his seat. "This is why Býleistr is so distrustful and why I must again insist you renounce the throne publicly, even though I believe that you do not want it. You are not just the firstborn of King Laufey; you are his only legitimate son. And you _are_ his son; you could not have inherited these markings from Fárbauti. The elders tell me her clan markings were far different."

"Ah, you'd considered perhaps I was not Laufey's get after all once they told you that she was suspected of unfaithfulness."

He shrugged. "It was a possibility. Odin does not know all he claims."

Loki smirked. "That, my brother, is an understatement." That smirk was hiding a deep pain that Kara knew he wouldn't appreciate her acknowledging in public. It could wait.

… …

Býleistr frowned at the dark figure that sheltered under a glade of half-fallen trees. "No. You will wait until after the ice fields have been restored," he told his ally. "That was our bargain."

"Is his power still bound?" the puny fool asked.

"Of course, else he would not have accepted my insults so readily." He looked away from the smaller being, using the pretense of checking for any who might come out in the edges of the storm that had strayed to the other side of the fortress to hide any sign of the glaring omission that might show in his expression. "He is only taking his female and one of my brother's guards with him when he makes use of the Casket," he continued. "Take out the guard first; he will be your main concern."

"Do not think to tell me my business, Prince Býleistr. The woman is far more dangerous than any of your people. I was fortunate before. She is a clever one and will have learned from her mistake."

"She is nothing. I could squash her like a rodent."

"Do not be so foolish as to make that attempt; I need you alive. You do not have the power to withstand her might. She slew dozens of her enemies on Asgard, and from a distance. I will not underestimate her and nor should you. I _will _have what I came here for."

Býleistr shrugged. "Just kill the pretenders to my throne and you shall have it. _After _the ice fields have been restored or all you will accomplish is to gain another enemy."

"As you command, your highness," the dark one said with a sneer.

… …

"Tony Stark, I swear to God. You've been back for all of a day, and you've already been locked in your workshop for eight hours."

"Not true. I was stuck on the phone with Fury for two of those hours."

She frowned down at his mock-offended expression and had to grin. He looked like a kid who'd robbed the candy store. The floor of his worship was littered with what looked like honest to goodness parchments and bits of metal. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of it all with three holographic screens up covered with calculations, schematics and notes, and a bottle of…was that actually water sitting beside him? "What's that?" she asked, pointing at the container.

He stared at her incredulously. "I have the secrets of the universe surrounding me and you're asking about the water?"

"You never drink the stuff."

"Sure I do, just not when you're looking." He smirked at her exasperated snort. "Seriously, Pep, this stuff is amazing and I need to keep a clear head. It could revolutionize everything. Well, everything I'm allowed to use it for, which is mainly the Avengers."

"Is this," she asked, gesturing at the mess. "Odin's gift?"

"Sure is. My new suits are going to be lighter, stronger, faster, and they'll hold their power longer because it won't take half as much energy for flight and life support. I've got a few ideas in mind for some ultra-lightweight armor for Natasha and Clint, and a bit heavier for Cap. It's going to be great!"

No, not a kid who robbed the candy store; it was Christmas with an All-Father instead of Santa Claus. "Okay, well, you'll need to get back to it later. You've got guests, remember?"

"I left room assignments with Jarvis. It's handled."

"It is not handled. Yes, they have their rooms, but you need to have dinner with them. So get up, get showered and get dressed. We're going to The Four Seasons."

"Huh. You had more strings to pull?"

"Dr. Nassar did, and no, he is not joining us so wipe that annoyed expression off of your face."

"Grill Room or the Pool Room?"

"The Pool Room; I think it will suit them more."

He sighed and then shrugged. "Okay. Soufflés all around for dessert, order two of each and a couple of bottles of that Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Brut you love. Now, lemme finish up here and…"

"No, Tony, absolutely not; Jarvis save everything just as it is to whatever private file Mr. Stark has set up for it and lock down his access until we get back from dinner."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

"Aw, Pepper…"

"Now, Tony; or you'll be couch man for the next week."

"You do realize I have extra guest rooms, each with at least one perfectly good bed."

"Jarvis, lock down all of the unoccupied guest rooms until further notice and restrict Mr. Stark's access to his credit cards. The only place they're to be used for until I instruct otherwise is at The Four Seasons _restaurant_."

"Jarvis, countermand that order."

"The lock down and restrictions are complete Lady Pepper."

"_Lady _Pepper? Son of a bitch; I swear I will find a way to make Loki regret fucking with Jarvis if it's the last damn thing I do."

… …

"I don't think I'm ever going to look at the color blue in the same way again," Clint muttered.

Natasha bit the inside of her cheek. "You never were much of a fan of it, so small loss."

"There's so many of them. Fandral gave me the impression that there weren't all that many Jötunn left in existence. Either he was wrong or they breed like rabbits."

"I was wrong," Fandral said as he joined them. "We were all wrong, apparently. I would not wish to face this many Jötunn on the battlefield, not with all the might of Asgard at my side."

"I think there's a lot of non-warrior types here, Fandral. For all we know this could be their entire population, women and children included."

"Women can't be warriors, Hawk?" Natasha decided to tease her lover.

"Hell, Nat, you know what I mean."

"True. And I think you're right, at least about this being the bulk of the population. There seem to be frail elderly looking Jötnar among them as well as young children. Their crown prince probably wants everyone to hear Loki renounce his claim on the throne so there's no confusion about it."

"Wouldn't it be funny if Loki claimed the thing instead?" Hawkeye flinched as Natasha glared at him. "What?"

"Sometimes I wonder about your sense of humor."

"As do I," Fandral offered. "Such a thing would like as not cause a riot with us in the midst of it."

"Well, yeah. But just the looks on their faces…"

"Button it, Hawk."

"You used to be a lot more fun, Nat. Remember Canberra?"

Appalled, she shook her head. "You and I remember Canberra very differently."

… …

"What happened in Canberra?" Bruce asked the former assassins.

"Nat did this fantastic…"

"Clint if you finish that sentence our child will lose its father before it's even born."

"She looks serious, I'd button it were I you."

Barton sighed. "Definitely not fun anymore. Bruce, does being in this room make you feel small?"

"I always feel small when I'm me. The only one of the men on the team who isn't a lot taller than I am is Tony. Even he's a bit taller…Pepper, too."

Natasha smirked at him. "You're taller than I am when I'm not wearing heels."

Looking down at her boot clad feet he asked, "When are you ever not wearing heels?"

"Rarely. But Clint has a point; even the majority of the obvious children are at least our height."

"That's why they're called _giants_," Loki said snidely.

They turned to find that Loki and Kara had joined them. With all of the ambient noise, she hadn't heard their approach. "They make you look like a runt," Natasha responded.

"Both of you be nice," Kara said as Loki's blue lips twisted in a snarl. "I swear; Bruce and I are the only adults on this team."

"And I'm not so certain of me," he told her with a smile.

"Enough," Hogun interrupted. "Gymir comes."

He certainly did. The guard that Helblindi had assigned to them was making his way through the crowd. Gymir even towered over the majority of the Jötnar by nearly a full head. The giant stopped in front of Loki and gave a respectful half bow. "Your highness," he said in that sharp edged voice that seemed to be typical of his race. "It is time."

… …

Helblindi waited as his shield-brother approached the dais; Loki was barely discernible beside him through the crowd. He likely would not have been able to see him at all if it were not for the gleaming golden scaled armor that adorned the lady on his half-brother's arm. Bringing her in front of his people was likely a good move. It would emphasize why he had no desire to take the Jötunn throne. Even an Æsir of her gifts would be hard pressed to survive here indefinitely. Loki and his lady wife stopped before him and they gave a formal bow of equals to him and a slight bow of respect to Býleistr. Gymir must have coached them in the proper etiquette. Ymir knew he had certainly forgotten. "Welcome, brother and my sister by marriage," he greeted them and motioned for them to join him on the dais. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Býleistr sneer. He would have to deal with that later.

"Thank you, brother," Loki responded. His lady nodded. "May I have your permission to address the populace?" he asked politely.

"Of course." Turning back to the crowd he raised his voice. "This is my half-brother, the eldest of Laufey's sons. Listen to his words."

Loki stepped to the edge of the dais. Gymir positioned himself on the main floor, close enough to protect the half-Æsir should the mood turn ugly. Helblindi fervently hoped it would not be necessary. "People of Jötunheim," he began in a strong clear voice. "I am Loki, only son of Laufey by his queen, Fárbauti, true heir to your throne."

Helblindi grabbed Býleistr's arm and hissed "Do not," in warning as his brother began to advance with a snarl. Loki stiffened but did not spare them a glance. His lady was another story. She glared at Býleistr with narrowed eyes.

"I was abandoned by my father, your king, as he thought I was not his child. Those who are experts in your clan markings now know this to be untrue. I was rescued by Odin All-Father of Asgard and raised by him and the Lady Frigga as the prince I was born, but not of the land in which I was born, my true heritage hidden from me by powerful magic. As you know, in my anger once I discovered my birth father's crime against me I first slew him and then tried to destroy his land. I regret blaming all of you for his misdeeds more than you will ever know and have come here, bearing my heritage, the Casket of Ancient Winters, to repair the damage I have caused. I hope that, one day, you will all be able to forgive me for striking out against you in my anger over what was done to me."

"He will betray you and claim the throne," Býleistr hissed in his ear.

"Silence. Let him continue."

"I am told I have the first claim on _your_ throne," Loki told them. "Not just through birth, but through tradition as I defeated Laufey in single combat." His half-brother waited for the agitated murmuring to die down. Helblindi was beginning to understand why the Æsir called him 'silver tongue'. "However," Loki's voice cut through the end of the whispers. "I do not feel entitled to that honor. The throne should go to one who has grown up in this realm, one who has loved its people and the land for all of his life. In light of that, I stand before you today to abdicate my claim on your throne in favor of the eldest of my half-brothers, Helblindi Laufeyson."

"There, see?" he told Býleistr as the crowd erupted in cheers. Býleistr snorted and folded his arms across his chest, still appearing doubtful. Loki had held up his hand to get the attention of the populace again.

"I do this with conditions," Loki said and Býleistr started forward again. Helblindi once more pulled him back. "I was raised in Asgard and that realm, though it owed me nothing, gave me much. Their crown prince, Thor, calls me his brother and gives me a brother's love. Their queen calls me her son, and has treated me as such since I was a squalling infant. When I fell in love with a woman of Midgard, their king allowed her conversion to Æsir so that I would not have to watch my love die of old age while I remained young. I owe them my gratitude. I abdicate my claim in Helblindi's favor until and unless he should break any peace treaty reached between Jötunheim and Asgard. Should that happen, my abdication is null and void and I will fight for the throne here and will hold it until such time as peace is reached and I find a worthy heir who will keep that peace."

Gymir stepped closer. "Tell me, Prince Loki. What makes you think you could take the throne by force," he asked loudly as the mutters filled the room and Helblindi twisted Býleistr's arm behind him to restrain him from advancing.

"Helblindi, he…" his brother hissed.

"Shut up, he speaks so with my permission." Býleistr's jaw dropped and Helblindi prayed his trust in Loki was justified so that he would not get caught out in this lie.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters is sacred to the Jötunn people. While any Jötunn can handle it safely, only those blessed can truly know its power," Loki claimed. He motioned and his lady came up beside him holding a cloth-wrapped bundle in her gauntleted hands. She pulled the covering back and Loki lifted the Casket and held it aloft for all to see. "I am using it to repair the damage I caused to your realm."

"Any of us could have done the same," Gymir said calmly.

"He is our enemy," Býleistr shouted.

Helblindi watched as Loki spun to face their brother, red eyes narrowing as he pulled the Casket down to his chest. "Silence!" his half-brother bellowed as the unopened Casket emitted a blue glow. Loki's voice echoed through the cavernous room and the floor shook beneath them. Gymir had told him of the odd effect earlier, but experiencing it firsthand had a much greater impact. Many of their people had dropped to their knees. And was it his imagination, or was Loki suddenly the height of a full-blood Jötnar? "Were I your enemy you would even now be laying dead in a pool of your own blood. Were I your enemy, I would lay waste to the rest of this realm rather than do my utmost to restore it. Were I your enemy, I would betray our brother to those who would take over all the nine realms if they could." Helblindi didn't miss how Býleistr stiffened at Loki's last comment. "I am not your enemy, Prince Býleistr. Do not make yourself mine."

… …

"Well that all went to hell," Clint muttered as they regrouped in the large room that had been assigned to Loki, the Avengers, Hogun and Fandral. Another large room held the company of Æsir warriors as space was at a premium in the fortress.

Kara frowned at him. "Stow it, Clint." She turned to where Loki sat staring at the bundle that contained the Casket. "Loki, what happened?" His inner turmoil was absent from his expression, but it seethed through him. "Loki? Talk to me." The lost expression he turned up to her all but broke her heart.

He held up a hand as she reached out to hold him. "Wait. You've expended too much energy." His skin slowly paled to his Æsir form and he dropped the hand. He sighed but didn't otherwise protest as she sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. "It spoke to me," he told her.

"The Casket?" He nodded. "Okay, what did it say?"

"Between murmuring about unlimited power and other such…I suppose they were meant to be enticements, it told me what we'd suspected. Býleistr is actively betraying his brother and planning an attack with the objective of killing both me and Helblindi and taking the Casket and throne for himself."

"I don't suppose it helpfully told you how?" she asked and then shrugged at his annoyed glare. "I don't know unless I ask. I can tell you're upset and frustrated, but I can't read your mind."

Loki pulled back and pulled off her gauntlets to take her hands in his. "I need you," he began and then paused to look at the others. "I need all of you to keep a close eye on me. Like the cube, the tesseract as Midgard calls it, the Casket possesses a kind of sentience. It calls to me, promises me power, everything I could have wished for at one time. I resist it now because it offers me nothing I truly want. But you must watch me, especially you, Kara. If my moods shift too far from normal, you must separate me from the thing. And if I try to use it inappropriately, you must stop me."

"Great, how are we to know what inappropriately is?" Clint groused. Fandral and Hogun nodded agreement. Nat smirked and looked at Bruce.

"I'll have to be there," the scientist said. "I'm the only one who would know for certain if he's veering off plan and I'm the only one who can stop him without doing him serious damage."

"Trust me, your other did me serious damage. Not fatal, but I did have multiple fractured ribs, a concussion and a shattered patella."

"Ouch. How long did it take you to heal all of that?"

"We tend to heal from the inside out, so the bones were stable enough to walk on by the next day. The concussion was no longer a problem in two days, and the cuts and bruises a day after that. I could have easily reinjured the bones with a sharp impact for about a week. And yes, for us, that _is_ serious."

"Better than what Kara would have to do to you," Clint told him.

"True." He squeezed her hands. "I know what I ask of you, more than they ever will," he began, referring to the fact that his death would mean hers, something Odin had advised them not to share with anyone else. "But if there is no other way, you must stop me. I will not be the toy of another power again. I cannot."

"You weren't a toy before. You stopped them," she told him.

"Kara."

"I know. I get it. That's a last resort though; you know we're going to try everything else first."

"Well, certainly. I don't want…you know what I mean."

She leaned in and kissed him. "I know."

… …


	53. Chapter 53

From the appetizer of sweetbreads which were neither sweet nor bread, to the veal, which was apparently meat from an unborn calf, the meal had mystified Nyvorlas. Not that anything had tasted ill, on the contrary, most all of it was delectable. It was all simply odd. It reminded him of a time when dueling chefs had served two of the greater houses of Ljósálfar and invitations to meals meant taking your taste buds in your hands and hoping for the best. "I don't suppose the next course will be any more recognizable." he said quietly to Sif who sat on his right thanks to manipulation by Tony Stark.

"Likely not," she agreed, and looked to her right at Haakun. "Was the cuisine so…so, interesting when you last visited Midgard?" she asked the councilor.

"It was not." He leaned towards them. "I'm not so certain it is an improvement."

Darcy Lewis snorted from Nyvorlas' left. "This is the extreme of fanciness," she told them. "Most of our cuisine isn't nearly so out there. Pepper just wanted us to have a meal out where everyone could see all of you in a casual public setting where they wouldn't have any excuse to bother you. In a restaurant like this, you do not approach a celebrity, it just isn't done and breaking that unwritten rule could get you blacklisted from all of the places people go to see and be seen in the city."

Stark nodded, his mouth still full of what Nyvorlas had been told was a 'Duo of Rabbit', basically two different parts of a hare, each cooked with different herbs and spices. He waited patiently for the man to swallow, figuring he owed him patience for the seating arrangements. "I promise you'll love the dessert," the Man of Iron finally said. "Soufflés are awesome. They're kind of a light whipped and baked egg pudding. Well, not really, but sort of. Trust me, they're great."

"You're pushing the limits of our trust, Stark," he muttered. They waited patiently, sipping the sparkling wine and surreptitiously eyeing all of the other patrons who tried so diligently not to stare. He, Haakun and Sif were all dressed in formal court clothing (sans armor), which apparently was of a style not seen here for hundreds of years save in their 'films' and other entertainments. Though he supposed his fine-boned features and pointed ears would have garnered much attention even had he been dressed in modern suits like the mortal men.

Finally the promised Soufflés were delivered. Each was a puffy dish that did smell faintly of eggs, though more like a sweet pastry. Small pitchers of sauces meant to be ladled over the confections accompanied them. There were three varieties with three different sauces and they all had a bit of each…except Pepper. His favorite was the Grand Marnier with Vanilla Sauce while Sif preferred the Strawberry that Lady Pepper had, for some reason, disdained. "God, this is so good," Darcy moaned as she enjoyed a bite of the Chocolate Soufflé. Beth and Pepper both mumbled agreement around mouthfuls of the treat. It must be a mortal female thing, he decided. "Seriously, it's almost orgasmic," the girl continued. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Sif take another serving of the Strawberry. "Wait, why aren't you going for the Chocolate?"

Sif frowned. "Too sweet for me. This one is more to my taste."

"More for me," Darcy smirked, earning herself aggrieved looks from the other two mortal women. Nyvorlas shook his head slightly at the byplay, trying not to show his amusement. It would only encourage them. The only female he wished to encourage in this group was the incomparable Lady Sif.

… …

The doors flew open and Gymir strode in followed by Helblindi. "What were you thinking?" the crown prince seethed. "You renounce the throne in a conciliatory manner one moment and then do something that guaranteed that half my people want to hand it to you the next!" He was rightfully furious, Loki decided.

"It was not intentional. I-I have a temper and Býleistr got the better of it," he said as soothingly as he could manage. A thought occurred. "Half? Do I want to know what the other half wants?"

"Your head on a spear," Gymir informed him.

Loki eyed the two giants speculatively. "You weren't impressed…either of you."

"Helblindi was stunned," Kara disagreed. "But this was the second time Gymir has seen it, so he was able to hide his reaction."

"Which was?"

"Primal fear."

He looked at his half-brother's guard and shield-brother. "Why?" Loki asked him.

Gymir narrowed his eyes but did not respond. "He's heard what we thought were fables about the Casket," Helblindi answered instead. "Gymir's great grandfather knew one of those who wielded it prior to our grandfather Thrym stealing it from him. Bölþorn was legendary, all knelt to him until he took an Æsir woman to wife. When he was young he was our greatest warrior and sorcerer, then he fell in love with that frail female and left Jötunheim for warmer lands. Decades later, in an attempt to gain more followers here, Thrym raided Bölþorn's home and took the woman hostage, demanding the Casket as ransom. Bölþorn traded the Casket for his wife's return. Our grandfather returned her, no longer of sound mind or body, but found he could not use the Casket in the same manner as Bölþorn."

"Thus began the wars between Asgard and Jötunheim," Loki mused. Who was this woman to have been the source of such enmity between two races? Not the cause, Thrym was the cause. But an Æsir woman loved by a powerful Jötunn was its source. He smiled. Kara would be worth such, though no Jötnar could have stolen her away. "Then Bor and later Odin fought Thrym and Laufey to regain it. interesting, is it not, that it is now in the hands of Laufey's son, yet it serves him as it may have this Bölþorn?" Helblindi stared at him, not understanding the significance.

"Is the power hereditary?" Kara asked in her Midgardian tongue. His lady's mind was quick enough to grasp it.

"I know not," he told her, using the same language. "I shall have to ask when we return home." He purposely avoided using names that might translate. "Regardless," he continued in the common tongue used throughout the other eight realms. "You have nothing to fear from me, Helblindi, nor do your people unless they betray our agreement. I will not use this power to take the throne. Even was I so inclined, Asgard would prevent it, rest assured."

"It is dangerous," Gymir hissed. "The legends say that Bölþorn was a different man when he used it."

"We're under orders to stop my husband should he abuse it," Kara interrupted. "We can do it, between Dr. Banner and myself we can and will take him down before we allow him to do anything stu…foolish."

Loki glared down at her, arms folded across his chest. "I am neither foolish nor _stupid_."

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. I said '_do_ anything foolish', not that you _were_ foolish, and I didn't say stupid at all. Well, not really."

"Hmm." He turned back to his half-brother. "When were you planning to be crowned?"

Helblindi's eyebrows rose. "What concern of yours is that?"

Sighing he refrained from voicing his opinion as to just who _was _foolish or stupid. "If you have no reason to delay the event, perhaps I should be involved in the coronation. I'm not familiar with your ceremony for it, but I imagine we can fit my formally either handing over the crown or otherwise giving formal approval into it."

"We have no set ceremony. He who would be king simply takes the crown from the throne and places it upon his head. Whether the people accept the action or attack him is what makes his claim legitimate. I anticipate a riot if you were to touch the thing."

"Not if we do it quickly. If we both walk up to the throne, me to the side, not near it, then you wait by the throne, I lift the crown, you sit, and I place it on your head we might be able to accomplish our objective without protests from either faction. I will be shown to support your rule and renounce my claim on the thing all with one action."

"While you hold the Casket," Helblindi said firmly.

That was not a good idea. He had no idea if the sentience of the Casket would allow him to crown another. "I don't think…"

"Yes," Kara interrupted. "Don't worry, Loki, I've got this."

He frowned at her confidence then allowed the frown to fade as he felt the strength of an empathic projection being pushed at him. "Ah, so you do."

… …

"What saw you?" the All-Father asked.

Heimdall took his attention away from infinity to address his king and old friend. "The younger prince made groundless accusations against Loki again, this time before much of their populace as Loki attempted to abdicate his claim. The Casket responded and Loki cowed the boy with its power. He harmed none, though many of the Jötnar were awed or frightened."

Odin sighed. "I fear for him. Bölþorn nearly went mad from it. He would have had us let Thrym keep it were it not for the harm done to my grandmother and the attacks on Midgard."

"Bölþorn was not supported by an empath. The princess has already found a way to buffer its influence; you need not worry overmuch about this."

"What is it you do not say?"

"I see shadows of those who seem to be not Jötnar, Æsir or Human on Jötunheim; their identity is blocked by dark magic. Býleistr has out-realm allies and I like it not."

"There are few it could be."

"This is true, my king. But you have provided all you can for your children's protection. Trust in them to use that protection wisely and prevail." Heimdall turned his attention back to the many realms. "The news from Midgard is better," he continued. "Haakun has succeeded in his first tasks. Loki may return there without threat of arrest."

"Thank Yggdrasill for that much. His mother will be quite relieved."

Heimdall smiled. "And his father will find no need to express his displeasure with their governments."

Odin chuckled ruefully. "You know me too well, old friend. Our sentence is punishment enough considering the circumstances behind his misdeeds. Yet I fear there will be a greater price he must pay."

"His destiny is a powerful one. That always entails a steep price." He turned his all-seeing eyes back to the sorrowing father who could not make his son's path easier. "Loki is stronger than even the Norns foresaw and has greater depths of character and compassion, though he rarely chooses to show it. I do not fear him or for him."

"That comforts me, Heimdall. Thank you."

… …

"He did it," Nick Fury told Dr. Nassar as he strode into the office. "Haakun got their agreement - with a little help from Stark Industries in the person of Miss Potts."

"What did they demand in return for dropping the charges?" Nassar asked.

"They demanded the world. What they'll get is an ARC reactor system to power downtown Berlin and the right to crow that they're the first government in the world to be using clean energy in all of their central government buildings. It will be right up there with their pride over the amount of solar energy they produce; more than any other country in the world, regardless of relative size. Quite the feather in their cap."

"Nothing more?" Nassar sounded surprised.

"They will have the second highest call on the Avengers and Asgard for support if an Avengers-level incident occurs. Haakun told them that since the U.S. sustained the greatest casualties and damage, they deserved first call."

"That's actually reasonable. Good. One more worry off of our plate. Now our only concern is public reaction once Loki's return and his identity as the figurehead at the front of the invasion is revealed."

Nick chuckled. "I don't think that's going to be a problem thanks to an unusual approach by one of our more unconventional resources."

The doctor's dark eyes widened. "Well?"

"Do you use social media, Raj?" Fury smirked at his nod. "Go on FacePage and search for 'Prince Loki of Asgard'." He waited as Raj pulled a tablet from his messenger bag, booted it up and accessed the page. A moment later a stunned look crept across his face.

"Good lord. Fifty-thousand likes on the page and it's only been up for…fifteen hours? The You-TV link has had twenty-thousand thumbs up…and the comments. These people want to throw themselves at his feet. Who did this? They made him into a cult superstar!"

"Darcy Lewis. She took the recent photos and video in New Mexico. The rest she had Jarvis pull from our archives. It was pure luck we had the footage of him saving the team when that derelict tank blew up."

"The picture of him on his knees beside Kara was sheer genius. Every female with an ounce of romance in their soul will be imagining themselves as her. Not to mention any males who have same gender desires." Raj smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if some who don't are moved by it."

Nick snorted. "Yeah, sure, the son of a bitch does the adoring look very well. He is the god of…"

"Don't, Nick. He does adore her, I know it, and you know it as well. Give him that much."

He might know it, but it didn't mean he had to like it. The huge glass jar in the corner of his office that was filled with shattered blue marble caught his eye. God damn. He had a constant reminder of how much the god loved the woman. Even when he thought he had no future with her, he still went all out to protect her. "Yes. Yes he does." Nick gave Raj a sidelong look. "Did you check out the Chatter account?"

"No, hold one…oh merciful God," Raj said as he brought the service up and found the account. "He's trending. Did you see what these people are calling themselves?"

Calling…? Nick looked over the doctor's shoulder at the list of trending topics. #LokisArmy was number one worldwide. "Fuck. It's a damn good thing the ones holding his leash didn't know anything about social media. They'd have had the entire planet on its knees."

… …

"We'll take Banner, Gymir and Natasha with us," Loki decided. "Hawkeye will stay by the door with Hogun to watch his back. Fandral, remain just inside with the company and Slingard."

"That's not safe. What if you're attacked by that sneaky blue weasel?" Clint asked.

"We know Býleistr will try something at some point, if we take everyone with us, he'll put it off until he can improve his odds. This way he'll think me unprotected and make his move when we're best prepared for it. He won't see the women or a soft-appearing scientist as a threat. You are staying outside by the door as your weapons work best at a distance; Býleistr has no clue how deadly you are at that range. The only reason we're taking Banner is in case I succumb to the temptation of the Casket. Natasha is a distance weapons expert, but she is also better at spotting anomalies than Kara, so she goes with us as well.

"It is a sound plan, indeed," Fandral offered, not that Loki particularly valued his tactical opinion. He shot a look at Hogun who nodded agreement. _That_ was the approval he was looking for.

"It's possible nothing will happen until the ice fields are well on their way to being restored. While the younger of my half-brothers isn't terribly bright, I much doubt he'd interrupt that process. We'll likely be safe during our next few outings."

"I'm all for safety," Banner said. "I like boring, too."

Loki's eyebrows shot up and Kara choked back a laugh. "Yet you're dating Darcy?" she asked.

Banner blushed. "Well, uh…exceptions prove the rule?"

… …

"Son?" Thor looked up from the window ledge where he sat staring out at the all but fully repaired Bifröst.

"Yes, mother?" He turned back to his vigil after he'd acknowledged her.

"What are you doing, Thor? We missed you at dinner."

He sighed. "Being useless."

"How so?" He could hear the surprise in her voice.

"I cannot help Loki; the Jötnar would not stand for it. I cannot help Haakun; the mortals would think me biased. I cannot go to Midgard and speak to Jane, if aught ill should happen on Jötunheim I must be where I can go help immediately. Father is well and seeing to his own court. I am useless."

"About court; why were you not there? You have much to learn, still. One day you will need to take the high seat permanently, we would have you be ready when that time comes." She couldn't possibly understand, he thought. "Son, I cannot understand if you do not tell me your reasons."

Thor cringed as she voiced his concern. She was still able to do that to him…it had to be some skill mothers developed. She was no mind reader; at least he did not believe so. "It feels…wrong to be there without him. Somehow I feel as though I am failing him again."

Frigga rested her hands on his shoulders and pressed her cheek against his. "You are not failing your brother. You are allowing Loki to prove himself and to make recompense for his misdeeds. The two of you will stand together soon enough. Meanwhile, my boy, you have responsibilities you are neglecting. I expect to see you at court in the morning and at all of the public meals. Am I clear?"

People always thought that Odin was the parent to be feared. They were wrong. Thor had always more greatly feared Frigga's displeasure. Her mere angry glance cut more deeply than any punishment Odin could dish out. "Yes, mother. I will be there."

"Excellent. Now get some sleep. You will not do anyone any good if you are not well rested."

… …

Darcy did a victory dance around the holographic displays of the FacePage, Chatter, and You-TV accounts. "Would you look at that?" she crowed. " PrinceLokiAsgard just cracked the top ten on Chatter and he hasn't even personally posted anything!" She nearly tripped over Jane as she boogied over to the FacePage display. "And he _owns_ Justin freaky Bieber on FacePage!"

"Huh?" Jane responded, obviously not understanding a word Darcy was saying.

She sighed dramatically. "His page has a lot more people liking it than the singer does, that means."

"Oh. Is that good? Who is Justin freaky whatshisname?"

"Exactly!"

"No, Darce; who is he, really?"

Darcy stared at her single-minded friend. "Aw come on, Jane; seriously? I don't think he's all that, but even I know who the kid is."

Jane still looked mystified. Beth shook her head sympathetically. "He's a teenage singer from Canada that all of the teenyboppers are gaga over."

"Gaga? Lady Gaga? Wasn't she one of the pros on Dancing with the Stars?"

Groaning, Darcy dropped down onto the sofa. "You need to attend modern culture school with Steve, I swear."

Beth grinned. "Even he's better than that. He knows Bieber is the kid singer from Canada who can't keep his pants up and that Gaga is the woman singer who wore a dress made of meat. And Jane, she sang on DWTS once, she wasn't one of the dancing professionals."

Jane sighed. "It doesn't matter." She stared at the screens, shaking her head. "Are you going to make accounts for Thor?" the scientist finally asked.

"Absolutely not," Pepper ordered as she swept into the room. "We're promoting Loki; we don't need to distract the public with mention of Thor, particularly with their history."

"Besides, we don't have much media on him," Darcy added. "Maybe once Loki gets established; like when the wedding is being publicized, we can do a Thor page?"

"Possibly," Pepper hedged. "Meanwhile, how's Kara's page coming along?"

"It's built. I'm not going to release it until we get a big demand from the people wanting to know who the chick is, though. Right now the comments are still along the lines of the 'damn, why can't I be her' kind of thing."

"Okay. We'll want to open it up once Haakun is ready with his press release about her now being a princess of Asgard and the whole bit. Hmm. Maybe we should do Thor's then as well. Let me check with my PR experts."

"What about the rest of the Avengers? I mean, I know Tony has some fan pages, but shouldn't Iron Man have an official page?"

Pepper stared at her with her mouth hanging open for a minute before she began to smirk. "You're right. He'd love it. Go ahead, we'll clear it with him before you take it live. I'm sure he'd love to do a video for it, too. But wait on everyone else. They really need to be comfortable with it before we do anything. Bruce would shrug it off, but I really don't want to deal with an annoyed Clint or Natasha."

Darcy shuddered as she thought about the distinct lack of humor the two exhibited in New Mexico. "Yeah, me either. Beth, what about Steve?"

"I think he'd be embarrassed."

"Everything embarrasses him. The question is; will he do it?"

Beth grinned. "If we explain that it's good for the team, he will."

"Gotcha. Users of social media, get ready for the debut of Captain America!" Darcy grinned as her fingers flew across the virtual keyboard. "This is pretty cool, actually. We've given them a bad-boy Norse god to drool over, now we're giving them the ultimate 'Mom, Baseball, and Apple Pie' good guy human hunk. Well, enhanced human. Yep, this is going to be great."

… …

Hawk stared out over the snow covered valley. Loki had stridden into the deep layer of white and had thrust the weighted end of his alien spear down until it hit solid ground. He placed his hand around the shaft just where the snowline began, pulled the spear free and headed back to them. "The base layer is over a meter deep. I think one more wave of storms will do the job for now. We may have to return in a fortnight or so to ensure it maintains itself, but otherwise, we'll be done here tonight."

"Still no move by Býleistr, what is the bastard waiting for?" Natasha wondered.

"This, most likely," Loki told them. "I will tell his brother of our intent to release one more set of storms late this afternoon. Helblindi will likely happily report to his little brother that his trust in me was deserved, and the treacherous rat will then put his plans into motion. We must all be on high alert, particularly you, my love," he warned, turning to Kara. "Býleistr knows I would do anything to ensure your safety."

"He'd be an idiot to attack her," Hawk interrupted. He returned Loki's heated red glare. "Seriously, she could turn kid brother to ash with a look."

"Unless he has a sorcerer aiding him and said ally uses magic to contain her in some way. If you recall, Malekith managed to snap her spine. I do not want her to go through such, or worse, again. A trip back to Asgard with a broken spine could cripple her permanently if not kill her outright."

He swallowed a probably useless reassurance. "You're right. Okay, guys," he said to the others. "High alert and we do not count on Kara or Loki to take out the bad guys. We're the first line of defense."

Grim nods acknowledged the order. Well, grim nods and an annoyed moue from Kara. "I'm not arguing," she said when Loki frowned at her. "I'm just pissed at Býleistr that it's all necessary."

"Good. Then you'll be very careful."

She wrapped her armored arms round his blue waist and laid her bare cheek against his chest. That still freaked Clint out knowing that the intense cold of Loki's Jötunn form didn't bother her. "Yes, Loki; I'll be totally careful. I'm not going to give you anything more to worry about."

"Good."

… …

Býleistr schooled his expression to indifference as he left his brother's chamber. Helblindi wanted to fete the half breed at the evening meal. Why? All Loki had done was make a half-hearted attempt at fixing the damage he had caused. His brother was a fool who did not understand the power of the throne. Helblindi certainly didn't deserve to sit it. He nodded regally to Slingard as he passed the lesser of his brother's shadows. Helblindi favored the two commoners more than he did his younger brother. That rankled. But that would all change, and it would change tonight. Slipping out of the servants' exit at the far end of the fortress he moved like a wraith to the predetermined meeting place. "Their next trip to the ice fields will be their last," he told the shadowy figure that awaited him. "Make it their last trip anywhere."

His ally nodded. "Once we attack Asgard's prince, chaos will ensue and Helblindi will send his most trusted warriors to save his half-brother. That will give you the opportunity to end your elder's life. Don't waste it. Once I have the Casket, I am gone from this place. It is up to you to win your own throne from the only remaining obstacle to your inheritance."

He allowed his suppressed smirk to emerge. "Helblindi thinks to take the crown this night. All he will take is my blade through his eye. I will sit the throne and I will wear the crown. There will be none to dispute me."

The dark figure gave a half-bow. "Long live King Býleistr," he said.

… …

Kara shuddered as she cracked open her shields. She could feel the malicious intent heavy in the ambient energy of the plain. "They're here somewhere," she whispered over the comm, using English in case they were using some magical means of spying on them. "I can't pinpoint a location, though. It just feels like they're everywhere."

She frowned through her helm at Bruce. His anxiety was hitting her hard, but she didn't think that was masking the other readings. "Be ready," her husband said quietly, also in English. She turned to look at him as he braced the Casket against his abs and turned in the direction that had been decided upon. "I'm about to unleash the storm, they'll likely attack using its cover."

"We've got you all in sight," Hawkeye advised. "Bruce, Nat; keep Gymir at your back and stick as close as you can manage. If it all goes to hell they're going to need you sooner rather than later."

"Roger that," Natasha agreed.

Kara looked back at the pair edging closer, followed by the giant among giants. Gymir was staring intently at the snowpack, his expression uneasy. "Nat, ask Gymir what's wrong. Something's bothering him that we aren't seeing, it could be important."

Nat put a hand up to get the Jötunn's attention and used the All-speak that Loki had gifted them with. "What do you see?" she asked.

His grating voice carried over the Widow's comm unit. "The snowpack is too even. It is…unnatural."

Loki had already raised the lid of the Casket and the wind had started to howl as she whipped around. "Loki, they're under the snow…everywhere, that's why I couldn't pinpoint a location!"

He flashed an alarmed look and tried to force the Casket closed. It wouldn't budge. "Until the first storm is fully out, it won't close," he told her. "Run, now!" She hesitated and he glared at her. "You promised!"

She had. She ran toward Bruce and Nat but had only made it a few yards before a spear of ice shot up out of the snowpack and scraped along her enhanced armor. "Watch for spears of ice under your feet," she snapped out over the comm as she spun and focused on the energy of the being she 'felt' under the snow. The surface collapsed in a widening puddle of slush as the individual she'd targeted burned beneath it. Two figures burst out of cover to either side of her. One spun away almost as soon as it had emerged and she could see one of Hawkeye's specialty arrows embedded in his back. She threw herself forward and moved into a slide on the icy surface, smiling grimly as the arrowhead exploded and took out both that Jötunn and the one who had been reaching for her from her other side. "Nice, Clint!"

"Focus on what you're doing," he ordered tersely.

He was right, of course. She turned back to look for Loki. He was forcing the Casket closed while trying to back away from a mixed group of figures. There were a number of towering Jötnar, but what really made her breath catch in her throat were the much smaller figures that could only be Svartálfar. "Oh crap. Magic users!" she told the others as the group raised their hands in unison and Loki stopped moving. Wait…why…she felt the bracelet on her left wrist tingle. He was faking it! She loosed his magic, cursing herself for not doing it the second she'd realized they had a problem then tried to focus her fire on the dark elves. Nothing. They were using the same magical shielding that had protected Malekith.

More figures erupted from the snow and surrounded her. More Svartálfar. She felt magic hit and dissipate around her. The bracelet didn't tingle, so she assumed the runes in her armor repelled it. Either way, she froze in place as Loki had. A menacing roar came from where she'd last seen Bruce and Nat. Fortunately, the howling wind and whiteout conditions muffled it a good deal. "Gee," Natasha's voice said over the comm. "They made Bruce angry. Imagine that?"

… …

Bruce watched helplessly as an ice spear nearly impaled Kara, only the new Asgardian armor protected her. Loki wasn't moving and a large group of Svartálfar and Jötnar were rushing him. Blind fury poured through his blood. He had time to pull apart the clasps on the top half of his arctic gear, he was certain his other wouldn't be able to tolerate the constriction even if the damn stuff did grow in size with him, and shrugged it off. The freezing bite of the wind rushed the change along, he barely had enough time to turn to Nat and Gymir to warn them. "Back away!" he bellowed, trying to memorize details about the Jötunn that would enable his other to be able to tell him from the enemy. Rage filled his veins, clouded his brain and he turned to where the girl in gold was now being grabbed by puny dark figures.

"Help Kara!" a high pitched voice called from behind him. Turning, he narrowed his angry gaze to stare menacingly at a tiny female with blood colored hair. 'Friend', the quiet voice in his brain said. 'Natasha-friend'. He bellowed and turned toward the other small female, the pretty gold glittering. 'Friend', the calm voice that was the deeper part of his mind said again. 'Kara-friend'.

He loped through the thick white coldness, grimacing when heat rushed through his foot. Looking down he saw a white pointy thing sticking through it. He snarled, grabbed and broke the thing, then reached into the cold whiteness, grabbed the solid beneath it and pulled. Skinny blue thing came up in his fist. Skinny blue thing snarled, he could smell its fear. He grinned as the quiet voice in his head said 'Enemy, smash'. Another skinny blue thing burst from the white cold stuff beside him. Grabbing it in his other hand he smashed the two together as hard as he could. The crack echoed and almost black gooey stuff ran down the blue bodies to pool in the whiteness. Bellowing, he tossed the skinny blue things at the puny dark figures that held the Kara-friend then followed them. The gold covered head turned towards him. One puny dark thing held each of her gold arms and she fought their grip. "Hulk, they have magic, smash!" a high voice called from the Kara-friend's gold covered head.

'Dark elves, enemy, smash' the quiet voice reminded him. Pulling back both arms he swatted the two puny dark elves then stared as they flew, pulling Kara-friend with them. Snarling his annoyance he followed. Two puny dark elves stood back up. Raising his fists he smashed down on tops of their heads. Dark elves-enemy smashed down into ground. "Puny elves."

Kara-friend patted his chest. "They sure are," she said. "Thanks, Hulk."

"Kara-friend." He turned and swung at more dark elves that ran at them then turned to smash more skinny blue things. But skinny blue things fell first, screaming, holding their heads.

"Ha!" Kara-friend said. "They're not protected. Hulk, go after the small dark ones, I'll get the blue ones, okay?"

"Dark elves-enemy, smash," he agreed and turned away. More of the puny dark elves rushed towards them; grinning he grabbed them and smashed them together. They didn't break, not like skinny blue things, but still fell. He shrugged and smashed more into the cold white stuff. Some of the blue skinny things burst into fire.

"Damn it, Loki!" the Kara-friend's voice cried. He turned to see why she was upset. Shorter skinny blue thing surrounded by glow color of skin on his own arm. Dark elves-enemy around him, light flashing from their hands, green glow made cracking sound when light hit it. "Hulk, help him, it's Loki, they're trying to break through his magic!" the Kara-friend called.

He wasn't sure who Loki was. Shorter skinny blue thing? 'Puny god', calm voice said. No, this wasn't Puny god who called him beast. This puny thing blue. 'Puny god', calm voice insisted. 'Puny god-friend'. He scratched his head. "Why puny god blue?" 'Still puny god, puny god-friend'. Shaking away the confusion, he waded into the group of dark elves-enemy and grabbed them, smashing or throwing them, whichever felt good. One of the dark elves threw the flashing light at him. It hurt! He bellowed in the dark elves-enemy face and tried to crush it in his hands. It wouldn't crush! Frustrated, he grabbed it by its head and swung it around knocking aside many other dark elves-enemy. Flashing nearly blinded him as they hit each other. Then screaming started and one he was swinging lost its body. He grunted, grabbed another and ripped its head from its body. Cold white stuff turned brownish red.

… …

Even with his magic, the odds were impossible. How had Býleistr managed to hide this many Svartálfar from his brother's guards? More to the point, how had they gotten here? Oh, of course. They'd been here since Odin sent them away from Asgard. Malekith could easily have changed their emergence point mid-route and used sorcery to hide them from Heimdall's view. Loki grimaced as his shield fought off one magical attack after another. If he hadn't had the Casket, it would have failed by now, but the damned thing was glowing, even shut, and he could feel power from it augmenting his own. He could hear Kara yelling for him, but he didn't dare turn to check on her. The beast was bellowing again, this time he sounded much closer. Suddenly the Svartálfar to his right began staggering back, the magic they had been readying to throw interrupted and exploding into each others' own protective shields, neutralizing them. A headless body flew past and the other enemies began screaming. Loki smiled and gathered his magic for an attack. He let his shield drop and threw the many pronged attack across the field of battle. Unlike the Svartálfar sorcerers he was able to target by intent. Screams echoed around him and he turned to survey the damage. Most of the Svartálfar were down, either by his magical attack or from being smashed by Banner's beast. The attacking Jötnar were either down with the Hawkeye's arrows through an eye or with blood sluggishly dripping down their faces from an eye that was no longer there, courtesy of the Black Widow's silenced handguns. Other Jötnar were bursting into flame, one by one if they were far apart, those close together burned in groups. The Æsir along with Gymir and Slingard were making short work of the remaining Svartálfar and the Jötnar who had betrayed their crown prince. A sharp pain pierced his abdomen and he looked down in shock. A spear of Svartálfar make protruded perilously close to his meng mein. "I win," Malekith's voice drawled from behind him. "The Casket of Ancient Winters is mine."

… …

**Author's Notes:** I'm assuming most of you do not need to be told, but I've used 'FacePage' and 'Chatter' and 'You-TV' as substitutes for the famous social media sites with similar names as I really don't wish to advertise them after all the money they make on the advertising we have to see to 'pay' for using the so-called 'free' services.

Yes, I'm evil, and I know there will be ugly tears over this cliffhanger.


	54. Chapter 54

"LOKI!" Kara's voice screamed over the comm.

Clint grimaced, wondering how long it would take before he could hear right again and looked to where the god had been fighting a group of the frigging Svartálfar. The dark elves were all but down; the few still not dead or comatose were being dealt with by the Hulk. His eyes fell on Loki and his gut clenched in sympathy and fear as he saw the barbed head of a nasty looking spear protruding from the blue abdomen. "Oh, shit. Nat, Loki's wounded, it looks bad." Just past the injured prince he could see another figure; it was half dark and half light…Malekith. "It's the bastard that broke Kara's back. Motherfucker." The enemy was carefully keeping Loki in front of him; there wasn't a shot for him to take. "Do you have a clean shot?" he asked.

"Negative and I'm a bit busy here."

He searched the field and finally found Nat's fluid spattered figure kneeling behind a pile of Jötnar and Svartálfar bodies, working on one of the Jötunn. Gymir was down and covered with the dark purplish blood that was evidently a Jötnar trait. "Christ, what happened?"

"He took on a large group of Jötnar traitors solo. Took them all down, but they cut the hell out of him first. The bleeding is finally slowing. We're fine here for the moment, go help Loki and Kara."

Taking off at a run, he headed at an angle toward Loki's position. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hogun heading that way as well with a number of the Æsir close behind. Where the hell was the Hulk? A roar caught his attention and a good dozen dark bodies flew out from a central point revealing Bruce's other in all his bright green glory. "Hulk!" Clint yelled. "Help Loki!" he told him, pointing toward the impaled prince. He continued to run, hoping that Loki or Malekith would move, just enough, so that he could put an arrow through the evil bastard's eye.

… …

Odin staggered and leaned heavily on Gungnir. "Husband?" Frigga asked worriedly. "What has happened?"

"Loki." He smiled grimly as Thor leapt to his feet. "Son, there's nothing any of us here can do. He will save himself or they are lost." He allowed his wife to guide him back to collapse on Hlidskjalf. "I am so sorry, my boy," he whispered, not trying to hold back the tears that slipped down his cheek and not truly certain to which son he offered his apology.

"I can take Lady Eir to him," Thor suggested. "If he is hurt…"

"No. It will do naught but endanger her."

"But father!"

"Do not argue with me! Think you that I want him dead after all that I have done to try and see him happy?" His head bowed with the weight of his grief. If Loki did not prevail he would lose two sons this day; one to death and the other to despair and guilt. By Yggdrasill, he prayed that Heimdall was right.

… …

"Prince Helblindi!" an unfamiliar voice called out urgently. "Svartálfar have invaded, they attack your half-brother and his people!"

Helblindi surged to his feet and called out to the guard captain on duty. "Get help out to the plains now," he ordered. "Everyone available. No mercy to the Svartálfar or to any who aid them, understood?" The captain nodded, saluted and ran from the hall, calling out to his lieutenants.

"Brother?" He looked back and saw Býleistr stroll out of their private wing. "What did I hear about Svartálfar?"

"They're attacking Loki, probably after the Casket, we must stop them."

Býleistr grinned and quickened his steps. "Sounds like our half-brother needs us."

He shook off the feeling of dread and headed for the plains exit. He'd have expected a disdaining comment from his brother, something along the lines of 'small loss' or 'oh yes, we must save the Casket'. This supportive comment didn't make…he spun and sidestepped and the blade of ice Býleistr had created whooshed past his head. "Traitor!" he snarled as he manifested an ice blade of his own.

… …

A thundering roar shook the very ground beneath them. Loki was having a difficult time concentrating; little things kept stealing his attention, such as the fact that his blood in this form was almost purple in color. Shaking himself out of the pained stupor he realized three things. First, the beast's roaring was going to trigger an avalanche, the howling of the storm had subsided enough for the vibrations to carry. Second, the Casket was still feeding him energy and that while the blade of the spear had sliced into his meng mein, it was not leaking energy as he would normally have expected. Third, Malekith was likely convinced, by the angle of this thrust, that he had impaled him directly through the meng mein, not simply grazed it. He could work with this. "Why do you want it?" he asked curiously, taking care to let pain and apparent weakness color his voice. If he could keep the egomaniacal fool distracted, perhaps he could still walk away from this. Malekith was protected from magical attack and anything Kara could throw at him, no doubt. But the Svartálfar would not survive being buried under tons of snow. Avalanche, damnation. He switched to English. "Get back to the fortress, all of you," he ordered under his breath. "An avalanche is building, flee or die."

"Loki," he heard Kara begin in a sobbing voice.

"Go, you promised. I'll survive this, he cannot."

"Christ almighty, Loki, I'm almost in line for a shot," Hawkeye snarled over the comm.

"Turn back, _now_, it's your only chance. Get the women out of here."

"You'd better not fucking die on us, Kara will lose it, you know."

He could see the man switch directions, heading at an angle that would take him to join Kara and likely urge her back to the fortress. Kara would more than 'lose it' if he didn't survive, but he refrained from admitting that. They'd never get to safety if they knew his death meant hers. "I've no intention of it, hurry."

"Last words to your beloved, Loki?" Malekith asked as he stepped around him, oblivious to the dangers that were closing in. "I'll take that," he added as he reached for the casket with a heavy blanket of silk.

"I think not," Loki told him as he shifted the Casket behind him. Reaching down he contracted his abdominal muscles around the shaft, snapped off the head of the spear and tossed it to the side as Malekith's shields wouldn't have allowed him to stab the half breed Álfar with it. He took a step or three forward and the shaft of the spear fell behind his body. Malekith's eyes widened. Deciding not to let the accursed one guess of his affinity with the Casket, he gave a nonchalant shrug and claimed "You missed." Gathering his power he raised his shields around him and solidified them as much as possible in his weakened state. "Give my best to Hel, would you?" he asked as the green behemoth known as The Incredible Hulk slammed into Malekith from the side.

… …

"Come on, Kara, we've got to get out of here," Clint told her as he grabbed her around the waist and started dragging her back to the fortress. "Shit, you've put on weight," he groused.

"Clint, no, I have to help Loki!" she insisted, fighting his grip.

"You heard him, there's an avalanche starting, he'll be fine. Come on, move it." They'd reached Hogun and Fandral. "Retreat to the fortress, and move it, Loki says an avalanche is imminent."

Hogun stared up to where they knew the glaciers stood, but like them, he could see nothing through the storm. "I hear the rumbling," he finally said and gave a sharp whistle and hand signals. The other Æsir took down the foes they currently faced and then turned and ran for the fortress.

"Somebody, give me a hand," Nat called out over the comm. She was trying to support a staggering, blood covered Gymir. "He's hurt badly!"

Kara broke away from Clint and hurried over to them, Hogun and several of the Æsir she couldn't identify close behind. "Each of you take a limb," she ordered. "I'll work on him while you carry him." She looked down at the groggy Jötunn who was again trying to get back on his feet. "Stay still, you aren't going to do Loki or Helblindi any good if you bleed out. Let me help you while I can." She didn't add that if Loki didn't make it, there'd be no more help from her…for anyone, ever.

Insulating their hands with the ends of their cloaks, the Æsir pulled him from the ground and started back to the fortress at a swift trot. She ran along beside Gymir, gauntlets tucked into her belt, hands hovering over his waist. "How bad is he, your highness?" a grating voice asked.

She looked up as Slingard reached them. "He'll live, I think. He's lost a lot of blood, but most of his organs are fine, a few have minor damage. It's mostly the blood loss." Kara's eyes widened. "Wait, if both of you are here, who's protecting Helblindi?"

"Our prince is safe within the fortress," Slingard claimed.

"Safe my ass; Býleistr is out to get him. This would be a perfect opportunity for it. Get back there and find them, and pray it's not too late!" Turning her attention back to Gymir's abdomen as Slingard ran for the fortress at a blinding speed, Kara pulled energy from, of all places, the storm. She'd have to figure out how that was possible later, assuming she had a later. Redirecting the energy to augment the Jötunn's natural healing didn't seem to be any different from doing it for a human or Æsir. It must be something that was universal. The overhanging entry to the fortress loomed over them and she turned to stare out over the plain. The Hulk was still roaring…oh, no; that was the avalanche. She collapsed to her knees in horror. The man she loved more than life itself was about to be buried in tons of snow and ice.

… …

Malekith groaned. It shouldn't have been possible to feel the impact through his magical shields, but he had. He opened his eyes to see a misshapen face set in an angry snarl a thumb's width from his own. The huge beast bellowed and the vibration of it was answered by shaking in the very ground. He scuttled back away from the creature and struggled to see through the whiteout conditions. What he could not see, he could hear. Snow and ice was sloughing off the tops of the glaciers and was gathering force, speed and mass as it fell. The plain would soon be buried as would all that remained on it. Staggering to his feet he began to run for the point where he could slip into the branches of Yggdrasill and escape the frozen realm. A heavy weight landed atop him and forced the breath from his lungs. "Puny dark-elves," the thing snarled and unconsciousness descended as a shock traveled from his head on down.

… …

Loki smirked as the beast played with Malekith. Banner's other wouldn't be able to kill the Álfar, not through his shields, but if he managed to render him unconscious, the avalanche would do the rest. He measured his energy…he did not have enough to shift away in time. What had the others called the creature? "Hulk!" he called out as loudly as possible, disdaining the comm unit. The other wouldn't be using the thing. "Hulk, we must go, now!"

The green giant appeared through the blinding snow and wind. "Puny god?" he asked, sounding confused.

The appellation didn't sound angry. "Yes, it's me. We have to get out of here, the snow is coming." The features relaxed, oh no. If Banner regained dominance at the wrong moment, he would die. "Pay attention you crude beast!" he yelled, slapping him across the face. Anger returned and the green glow of the eyes intensified. "You must get away or even you will be crushed," he tried to explain, hoping the beast could understand.

The great brows drew down over the Hulk's eyes. "Puny god-friend," he said with what Loki could only call a sneering grin. The beast grabbed him and slung him over his shoulder and ran towards the fortress in leaps and bounds. Perhaps they might make it.

… …

"No!" Kara screamed as a wave of rolling white engulfed the plain, covering the green speck that had been moving toward them steadily. Two Jötnar grabbed the huge doors and pulled them closed. A reverberating booming filled the corridor as though fists the size of an elephant struck them repeatedly. "We have to help them," she said, turning to one of the Jötnar guards. "How do we get out there?"

The giant shrugged. "We wait until it melts."

"What? No, my husband is out there, and my friend. We have to dig them out," she told him.

He bowed. "You have my sympathy, princess," he said. "You are too young to be a widow."

"I'm not a widow, not yet; we have to dig them out…" She trailed off as he turned away from her and began checking on Gymir's wounds. "Don't ignore me," she insisted.

"Kara, take it easy," Clint said. "Didn't you hear the snow hit the doors? Those doors open out; they're not going to be able to get them open again until most of that snow is gone. I'm sorry, really, but there's nothing we can do. Look, I got to like the guy, a lot. I mean, I wanted him to be my kid's godfather, but there's no way he survived that. Bruce, maybe, but I wouldn't put money on him, even."

A door at the far end of the corridor slammed open and Helblindi strode down the hall followed by Slingard. "It has hit, I take it?" he asked the nearest of his people.

"Yes, my prince. The report is that the snowpack is up to the second floor and rising."

The crown prince sighed and looked around the room. His annoyed look morphed to a worried frown and he scanned the occupants again. "Where is my elder brother?" he asked.

"He did not make it inside, my prince."

"We need to dig them out. Bruce had him, they're…" Kara stopped talking as she noticed blood pooling on the floor. Following the dripping up her brother-in-law's long leg she gasped at the sight of the object that hung from his waist. Býleistr's sightless eyes stared out at nothing; several locks of his midnight hair suspended his head from his brother's belt. She swallowed, remembering Helblindi telling Loki what he would have done if Laufey had treated him as he'd treated Loki. Apparently he hadn't been exaggerating. "I…I take it he tried to kill you. Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Not badly." Helblindi's smirk reminded her of Loki's. "He was always _talking_; he was never willing to put in the work." He dropped to his knees beside her. "I am sorry that we've lost Loki. He was a worthy brother and I regret not having the chance to know him better." He sighed. "I am also sorry that I could not leave Býleistr alive for your revenge, but it was important that I prove myself impervious to betrayal. Loki will be remembered with much honor here."

Kara shook her head mutely, stunned at the gruesome sight. It took several minutes for her to focus again, long minutes that Helblindi spent giving orders for healers to tend to all of the wounded, Jötnar and Æsir alike. "Kara, let's go, you should lay down," Nat told her as she placed what was meant to be a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He's not dead, Nat. We have to get out there somehow. I can find him; we've got to dig him out."

"Honey, you're in denial, you…"

"God damn it, I am not in fucking denial!" she screamed. "I am a fucking empath and I am telling you he is still alive!"

Helblindi turned to stare at her. "My sister by marriage," he said quietly. "It is possible he is still alive, at this moment, I will grant you that. But not even a full-blood Jötunn could survive the crushing weight of the snow for more than a very short time. Loki is not a full-blood. Even were we to be able to get outside, we would not be able to find him in time. I grieve with you." He sighed and went back to seeing to his people.

"Nat, he's still alive," she whispered to her friend. "We have to get him out, we have to."

"Kara, I'm sorry."

She fought down the hysterics, swallowed the angry words she wanted to say. "Tell Tony and Pepper goodbye for me, Nat. They've been good friends. You guys, too, but you're here." The tears began to fall.

"Kara, don't talk like that. You promised us before you would try to go on without him, don't give us this bullshit now. Yes, this hurts, but please, we all love you, we'll be there for you," Clint said as he dropped down on her other side.

"I'm sorry I won't see the baby," she told him, not able to focus on his face. "Tony and Pepper would be good godparents. Tony's, well, Tony, he'll spoil it rotten, but you know he'll love the hell out of the kid. Pepper will take care of all the practical things."

"We still want you," Nat insisted.

"You don't get it," she hissed. "You won't have me. If Loki dies, I die; finis, that's it."

Clint shook his head; that much she could make out. "That's…I know Odin said if you died, Loki died, but that was it, it wasn't the other way around."

"That's all he said in public, Clint. He didn't want anyone to know it went both ways. It's the only way the key works. Our life energies are tied together. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you; Odin didn't want anyone else to know."

"Son of a fucking bitch." Clint lurched to his feet. "Hogun, Fandral, get your asses over here."

… …

He filled them in tersely. "We've got to get out there. I don't know about you two, but I'm not going back to Asgard and saying I sat on my ass safe inside while Odin's son and daughter-in-law died."

"I agree, Hawkeye," Fandral said. "But I do not see what we can do. While we could go out the opposing exit, climbing the glacier would not be manageable, certainly not in what little time we might have left."

"Windows?" Hogun asked.

"Shit, yes. Helblindi? Are there windows that are still above the snowpack?" Clint asked.

The crown prince of the Jötnar stood from where he'd been reassuring a wounded Jötunn warrior. "I expect so," he answered. "Why?"

"We've got to get out there. Kara can find them, she's sure of it. I know you think it's impossible, but we've got to at least try. If we don't, Odin won't take it well, and you don't want him blaming your people. After all, it was your little brother who's responsible." He held his breath, hoping the Jötunn would believe that Odin would hold them responsible.

"If you had not noticed, the windows are quite narrow. We cannot fit through them."

"I could," Kara said. "So could Natasha and Clint and maybe a few of the Æsir. We've got to try, please."

Helblindi nodded. "You, go find windows that are not too high over the snowpack." The Jötunn he'd given the order to ran to do his bidding. "Slingard, find the diggers and have them ready their tools and take it to the window that is chosen." The guard saluted and left as well.

"My prince?" Gymir called from where he sat with his back against a wall.

"Yes, my friend?" Helblindi said, taking a knee beside his shield-brother.

"Rally the children. Loki was kind to them at meals and gatherings. They will help, I think."

"They might well, in truth. I will do so." He stood and loped down the corridor and was soon out of sight.

"Thank you," Clint said to the giant.

Gymir shook his head. "No thanks needed. Your lady and your princess are the reasons I live. A debt is owed, I will repay it."

… …

Helblindi strode down the corridor, fighting a grin. Loki had indeed made himself popular with the children and he had not even noticed it happening. Of course, since he had not yet been blessed with offspring, perhaps he did not pay them as much mind as he should. What would he do without Gymir's sharp eyes? Nearly a dozen younglings still small enough to fit through the windows had eagerly volunteered to help. To be fair, part of their enthusiasm doubtless was the result of having the opportunity to do something their elders could not, but if it would save his only remaining brother, he would take it. The mortals and a dozen of the Æsir and their princess were waiting by the selected windows. His sister by marriage had already been rigged up to safety cords by the diggers and several bright wraps had been wound about her torso. "I thought the cold did not bother you?" he asked her. Her gold armor would keep her visible against the snow and the dark ice.

"I can compensate for it, but I want to conserve my energy to boost my empathic ability. Knowing they're out there and alive is a lot easier than pinpointing their exact location."

That made sense. The two humans were rigged, but had not closed their head coverings. Several of the Æsir were in the process of being strapped into the safety lines. His brother's wife did not seem to be waiting for them. "Wait, you cannot go out alone," he insisted.

Her covered face turned toward him. "I have to find them alone, otherwise I'm going to have competing emotions to try and sort out. It will be quicker if I start out by myself. Hawkeye has his comm unit out and turned to speaker, so you will all be able to hear me and I can be pulled in if I'm having a problem."

Helblindi watched, biting back additional useless comments as she slipped through the narrow window and was lowered carefully down to the snow pack. The top layer was soft and she sunk in nearly to her knees. "Stop," he called out to her. "You'll need snow flats, it's too soft." Turning to the diggers, he accepted the pair of child-sized snow flats, oblong frames strung with netting. He dropped them down to the woman. "Strap them to your feet once we pull you clear of the snow." She'd obviously used something similar before he thought as she quickly strapped them on and signaled to be lowered again. This time the surface held under her redistributed weight.

"Okay, give me some slack and play the rope out as I move," she said and her voice emerged from a tiny device the Hawkeye had entrusted to Slingard.

"Can you hear us as well?" he asked.

"Yep, loud and clear. But everyone please be quiet for a bit so I can concentrate." They waited as she picked her way across the drifts and then stopped. Kara slowly turned around in place until she had faced all directions for a few moments, then stopped and turned back to one point. "They're this way," she informed them.

He looked over the group in the room. The children were now wrapped in their own colorful outerwear with safety harnesses securely rigged and the Æsir and humans needed only close their face coverings to be ready. All were holding snow flats. "Are these the only Æsir brave enough to go?" he asked derisively.

"We're the only ones slim enough to fit through the window," the loquacious one informed him. "We did have two more who could force themselves through, but it might do them an injury and that would hinder their efforts."

"And be more trouble than their help could be worth, I agree. My apologies, it weighs upon me that I cannot do more to help."

"You're doing what you can, but you might want to consider widening a few windows at some point in the future and fitting them with removable plugs in case of future emergencies," the mortal called Natasha told him.

"That had never occurred to me," he said honestly. "I will look into doing so, though it will be too little and too late for my brother."

"Don't count Loki out yet," the Æsir who had accompanied his brother to the plain each time said. Helblindi frowned at the least talkative of his brother's companions. "He defeated a níðhöggr with naught but illusions, four knives and his own two hands," the warrior concluded with a shrug.

The níðhöggr were huge four-eyed six-legged serpents with two long curving horns and a spiked tail that were notoriously difficult to kill with less than a small army. They also hated both Æsir and Jötnar with a passion. The giants of Muspelheim were the only two legged beings they tolerated in their territories. That his brother had killed one, alone…ah, the horns on his dress helm, that was their significance, interesting. "I will count him out only when his lady does," he told them.

… …

Kara could feel Loki's agitation clearly. What she did not feel, and that concerned her, was Bruce's anger. Were they not together or had Bruce calmed down and shifted back to his normal form? That would be disastrous for him. The level of agitation was slowing, that was worrisome as well. It could mean Loki was drifting into lethargy. She trudged forward holding on to the emotion, wondering if a projection would help. "Guys?" she said over the comm. "I feel Loki, but not Bruce. I'm not picking up on an angry emotion anywhere. I'm going to try a projection of anger; if Bruce is calm he's going to die if he isn't dead already."

"Roger that," Clint responded. "Try not to overdo it. If he's with Loki we don't want the Hulk attacking him by mistake."

"Good point. I've got to give him that chance, though. I won't be able to live with myself if we find Loki alive and Bruce has frozen to death."

"I know, Kara. Just be careful."

She rolled her eyes, not that anyone could see it. Concentrating as she followed Loki's empathic trail, she sent a small feed of anger out. A few seconds later rage exploded on her senses and in the same direction she was headed. A tendril of mixed relief and fear accompanied it. "I think it worked!" she told the others excitedly. I'm now picking up emotions from two different sources. One is rage, and the other relief and a bit of fear."

"Loki is probably having a flashback to tangling with Bruce on Tony's tower," Nat said dryly.

"No doubt. Well, if he gets…oh my god. The snow is shaking over there, pretty close to the main doors. That must be it, send out the troops with the equipment and bring some extra blankets. I'm going to have to calm Bruce down quickly as soon as he's free so no one accidently gets hurt and he's going to be damn cold."

"The Hawkeye instructed me to tell you that the 'cavalry' is on its way," Helblindi said. "What is a 'cavalry'?"

"I'll explain later, it's a Midgard colloquialism and it's complicated." She looked over her shoulder. Several figures were already on the ground and hurrying in her direction. It was the children. The humans and Æsir were mostly on the ground but were having trouble negotiating the terrain, even with the snowshoes…snow flats, as her brother-in-law called them. "Hey, kids," she said, pulling her face plate up as the children reached her. "See where the snow is churned up? That's where they are, I think they're about…" she trailed off as she tried to translate the measurement. "Um, about twice as deep as Gymir is tall."

One of the children was a bit taller than the others began issuing orders and they fanned out on one side of the disturbance and began digging a shallow trench towards it. They angled it down so that the closer they got to the indicated point, the deeper they were. "That will ensure it doesn't collapse in on top of them," Nat said as she arrived. "Good strategy, it's one we were taught in Arctic survival school."

"I wouldn't have thought of it, I'd have panicked and dug straight down."

"And risked being trapped yourself," one of the girls near the edge of the group said with a grin. "We're all taught these skills when we are very small," she added.

"Good to know. What do you want us to do?" Kara asked as Clint and the four slenderest of the Æsir arrived.

The boy that was directing the others looked up. "Take those shovels and lengthen the dig. If they are that deep, we need to make the ramp at least twice as long."

"Okay, folks," Clint told them. "You heard the man, grab a shovel and let's get that ramp dug longer."

The boy beamed at being referred to as a man, his momentary pride all but covered the shift in emotions she felt from under the snow. Bruce was calming down and Loki's fear was increasing. "There might be another movement under the snow," she called out loudly. "Be careful!" After they acknowledged her warning, she sent out another tendril of anger. A heavily muted bellow assured her it had worked before the snow began to shake. The movement occurred at the same spot as before. "Good, that's definitely the right location," she told Hogun who'd stepped up beside her and handed her a small shovel.

"We will find them in time," he said, just loudly enough for her to hear through his face covering and then put his shovel to work.

… …

The snow was flying, much faster from the shovels wielded by the Æsir and young Jötnar than it was from hers, Natasha thought. But still, every bit helped. She rolled her shoulders to get some of the tightness out and dug in once more. Kara was stopping periodically, focusing on the target, and then resuming her shoveling once the slight shaking and muffled sound that emerged indicated that Bruce was still with them. Her friend was stressed and Natasha was certain it was more for worry over Bruce and Loki than it was for herself. She wouldn't be surprised if Kara was blocking that knowledge out from herself entirely. "Only a few more yards," she said over her comm unit.

Kara glanced up at her, face plate still up. "I know; it's getting harder and harder to get Bruce mad, though. I think even the Hulk is weakening. Loki's emotions are getting a lot more erratic and thready as well."

That didn't sound good. "If the Hulk got really mad, do you think he could break through the rest?"

"Maybe, but the part he pushes past might bury Loki."

"Best not take the chance, then." Tossing another shovelful away she frowned. "Have you ever tried projecting heat instead of fire?"

"Yes, but it's very delicate work and I don't think I have the concentration I'd need to do it without burning them at this point."

"Damn. Then I guess we keep digging." Kara nodded miserably.

"Kara!" Clint called as he ran up the ramp to them. "Think you can heat the walls of the ramp near the bottom just enough to make them wet? They're hoping to have them freeze hard to stabilize the snow behind it."

"I think so. Let me try up here first where it doesn't matter as much."

"Good idea." Clint stepped to her side while they waited for Kara to do her thing. "You warm enough, Nat?" he asked.

"I'm fine. And no, I'm not overdoing it."

He chuckled. "I didn't think you were. You could outwork me any day of the week, I don't care how far along you are at the time."

She smiled. "Smart man."

"Well, yeah. I fell in love with you, didn't I?"

Kara shot them a look over her shoulder. "Wow, you two are going to be front runners for the cutest couple award if you keep it up."

"Smart ass," Clint said. "Is it freezing?"

"It is, and fast, too. Not sure if it will be as fast down near the bottom since it's more out of the wind, but I can do a small section first to find out."

"Let's do it."

… …

Helblindi watched anxiously from the narrow window. The younglings were working well with the Æsir and the mortals. It was an inspiring sight to see, three races working side by side for a mutual goal. It boded well for the future. Of course, if Loki didn't survive, Odin would blame his people. That would be…it could be war; or at least the end of any hope for a fair treaty and mutually beneficial trade agreement. He looked to the side as Gymir joined him. "Should you be up?"

"My wounds heal quickly. The princess is a skilled healer."

It was true; Gymir's deep cuts were already scabbed over, something that would normally take a day or two. "Well, let us hope we can get her husband back and keep her favor."

"And keep her alive," his best friend whispered in his ear. He stared at him and waited for an explanation. "They didn't realize I could understand so much of their human language. Though it's changed much over the many centuries, I could still get the root of it. If your brother dies, his wife dies with him."

His eyes closed. Odin would not forgive them the loss of both his son and his daughter by marriage. "If I could kill him all over again, I would do it with far less mercy," he grated as he glared down at his brother's head.

Gymir's grin was mirthless. "Agreed."

A flurry of movement caught their attention. The children were digging frantically with their bare hands, the shovels tossed aside. "They must have found someone; else they'd still use the tools."

He turned sideways to give Gymir a chance to see out. "There," his shield-brother said, pointing. "I think it is the scientist, he was very green when he changed his form."

Helblindi's heart fell. "Where is Loki?"

… …

"Get the blankets over him, now!" Kara told the kids. "I'm going to calm him down and he's going to shrink and…" she broke off as the Hulk pushed back and stood. Was that? Yes! Clutched tightly against the behemoth's chest was a half-conscious Loki. "Oh, thank you, god," she whispered. "Bruce! Uh, Hulk, can you bring him this way? Everyone you see is a friend; they helped dig you two out!"

Bruce's other turned toward her voice. A wide grin creased his face when he saw her. The children and Æsir backed away hurriedly when he turned to avoid colliding with Loki's legs. "Kara, Puny god hurt," he said, much to her surprise managing a fairly complete and comprehensible sentence.

"I know, bring him here so I can help him."

He nodded and trudged up the ramp, his feet, still encased in the arctic gear thank goodness, plunging ankle deep into its surface with each labored step. The Hulk stumbled about halfway up and hit his knees. Kara could feel the anger fading away to an overwhelming sense of relief and exhaustion. "Quick, kids, get the blankets ready, he's going to change back to a mortal human." Bruce managed to set Loki carefully down on the packed snow before the change fully processed and he collapsed backwards into the heavily wrapped arms of the Jötnar children. They quickly wrapped him in blankets and then stood aside to allow one of the Æsir to pick him up.

Skógi, one of the younger Æsir that had comprised the elite squadron, lifted Bruce as easily as she could a child. "I've got him, your highness," he said. "Attend to your husband."

"I will; thanks." She dropped down on her knees beside Loki. He was completely unconscious and his features were tired and drawn. But his pulse was steady and the wound wasn't bleeding, though that might change when they got him inside. Holding her hand over his abdomen she gasped. "Oh, shit."

"What is wrong, my lady?" Fandral asked.

"There's damage to his meng mein. He's leaking energy, not a lot, but enough to be a problem."

"Let us get him inside so you may help him." Fandral gently raised her to his feet and then he and Hogun lifted her unconscious husband. Fortunately the arctic gear S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided for the two men insulated them enough.

She followed, trying to swallow her fear, as they made their way back to the narrow windows. Helblindi reached through and took Loki in his arms as Fandral and Hogun lifted him up. "Follow me to my chambers," he told her as she was pulled up on the safety rope and entered the fortress. "We'll tend to him there." Helblindi hurried down the long corridor and she did her best to keep up. Hogun and Fandral were at her back in moments. The chambers they entered were far more opulently decorated than others in the fortress. Helblindi grimaced as her eyebrows rose. "I have changed nothing yet," he muttered.

"Ah. Good to know." She shut the faceplate and pulled her helm off entirely then pulled her gauntlets from her belt and dropped them in it. "Guys," she said to Hogun and Fandral. "I hate to ask, but he's leaking energy faster. Would either of you be willing to donate energy? It hurts, but it won't do deplete you for more than a few minutes."

Much to her surprise they both stepped forward immediately. Whether it was because they wanted to please Thor and Odin, or because they really wanted to help Loki she didn't know and didn't care. "I'll do it," Fandral told Hogun. "You stood for him at the Tribunal." Hogun nodded agreement and stepped back.

"Okay, grab that chair and make yourself comfortable and just try to breathe through it. Don't worry if you get dizzy, that's expected. I won't need to take too much, so you shouldn't pass out. At least, I don't think you will." Fandral nodded and she held her hand over his meng mein. Her mouth opened as she realized that Fandral's energy was different than Loki's and Thor's. "Um, something's wrong. Hogun, could you try, please? For some reason Fandral's energy isn't compatible." The men switched places and she tried again. Hogun and Fandral's energies were the same, but both were far different than Loki's. "Oh shit. We've got a problem."

… …

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I've done it again. I'm armored up and am hiding behind one of Kara's blast shields so do your worst, I'm ready for it!

Regarding the níðhöggr, that's pure artistic license. There is a legend of a serpent _named_ Níðhöggr that chews at the roots of Yggdrasill, but I've found no name for the species, nor a description for it.

I finally got around to watching Iron Man 2, and I'm surprised no one has yelled at me about Pepper being made the CEO way back then. I got lots of comments about the strawberries. You're slipping folks! :wink:


	55. Chapter 55

"What's wrong?" Hogun asked.

"Um, your energy isn't compatible either. I don't understand. General life energy is universal, so far, regardless of race. I'd never worked with meng mein energy before Loki popped up in Central Park; I guess I just assumed it was universal too." She stared off into the distance, horrified at the implications. "Obviously, I was wrong." Frowning she held her hands over Loki's abdomen again and tried to corral the leaking energy and force it back to the meng mein. No good, "Damn. Why did it work with Thor? I could understand it if they were related, for organ and marrow transplants it's a lot more likely that a family member would be compatible, but Loki's adopted."

"Kara." She looked up to see a bit of blue showing from Loki's slatted eyes. "Bölþorn," he whispered. "Bestla's fath…" the eyes closed and his energy took a nosedive.

"Loki, damn it!" Biting back a sob she looked at the others. "Who is Bestla? Why is she important?"

"Bestla was Odin All-Father's mother," Fandral replied.

"Son of a b…, my father-in-law is a quarter Jötunn and he allowed…_damn_ him. He's back on my shit list, big time. That still doesn't do us any good. Maybe it was a Jötunn factor?" Kara scanned the area, even though she knew from doing healing on Gymir that the Jötunn didn't have a meng mein organ. Nothing; wait... She turned back to where Helblindi was crouched beside his half-brother. "Oh my god. You…okay, everybody out, I have to talk to Helblindi, and you don't get to hear this unless he wants to tell you," she told the others.

Her brother-in-law's eyebrow shot up. "Gymir and Slingard may stay. I have no secrets from them."

"Seriously, I think that…"

"No secrets. Ever," he reiterated.

"Fine, your choice." She looked around at the others who were all hesitating. "Out, now, we don't have much time here." They filed out, still too slowly, but at least they were moving. The door closed and she motioned Helblindi closer. "I'm not sure how good their hearing is," she said softly. "Um, don't shoot the messenger, but are you aware that you're at least part Æsir?"

He blinked, looking floored. Okay, apparently he'd had no clue. "Are you certain?" he asked, shock coloring his voice.

"None of the other Jötunn I've scanned have meng mein organs. The Æsir have them, and the Ljósálfar, well, the only one of them I've met has one and some of the Svartálfar, but not all of them, which seems weird. But you have one, and the energy is compatible with Loki's."

"Many of the realms share bloodlines. Perhaps all of those who have this organ have Æsir blood, or Vanir, they're closely related to the Æsir," Helblindi mused.

"Okay, regardless. Your energy is compatible to Loki's. If you're willing, I can pull a little bit of your energy and use it to heal his meng mein. I'm not going to kid you, it will hurt worse than anything you've ever endured, but it won't cause any lasting harm and…what are you doing?" she asked as he settled down on the chair Hogun had vacated.

"Do it." He glared at her as she hesitated. "I am losing patience, woman. Heal my brother and do so now."

"Okay."

… …

Frigga jumped up as Odin stiffened for a moment, staring off into nothing after hours of attempting to far-see what was happening on Jötunheim. "Husband? What is wrong?"

"Kara," Odin said firmly. "Bölþorn was Bestla's father…" his voice failed and he slumped in his chair.

"Thor! Thor, come quickly!"

"What is it?" her son said, sounding out of sorts. "Father?" He dropped to his knees by the stricken king examined him, then turning he ordered the guard at the door, "Summon Lady Eir!" He stood, lifted Odin in his arms and settled him on the couch that sat across from the fire. "What happened?" he asked her as Eir rushed in.

"I'm not certain. He seemed…I don't know how to explain it to you, elsewhere, I suppose. He said a few words and then collapsed. I think, perhaps, he was trying to speak to Kara."

"He's entered the Odinsleep," Eir informed them. "Bring him to the healing chamber."

Thor lifted her husband again and indicated with a jerk of his head that she should precede him. "Is that a sign of a brain injury, Lady Eir? Speaking to someone who is not here?"

Eir smiled. "Not with the All-Father."

"Thor, your father can far-speak, but it comes at great cost. I'm not certain what he was trying to tell her, though. It made no sense to me."

"I should go to her…but I cannot," he realized for himself as he set his father down in the chamber of greater healing.

"No, Thor. All we can do is wait."

… …

"That all went to hell," Clint muttered as they watched a Jötunn healer apply warm compresses to Banner's chilled skin. While he didn't have frostbite, thanks to his other, his body temperature was way too low. A freestanding heater had been brought in and set up by the scientist's bed. The healer sat off to the side of it, reaching over and replacing compresses and then backing away quickly as the direct heat was too much for her. "What's the word?" he asked Fandral as he and Hogun joined them.

"We do not know, but it's bad. Our energy was not…compatible for some reason with Loki's. I do not understand it fully."

"Kara is angry with the All-Father," Hogun offered.

"Again? What the fuck did the old bastard do this time?"

"Clint, really?"

"Oh, come on, Nat. I'm stressed here, you know my language gets worse when I'm stressed." He grinned at her aggrieved sigh. "Like you can't whip out the f-bomb when you're in the mood to?"

"How often does that happen?" she asked.

"Uh…okay, very rarely. I guess I stress easier. So, what did he do now?"

Fandral and Hogun shared an uneasy look and Hogun shrugged. "Apparently," Fandral told them. "The All-Father has been hiding the fact that the giants his line is descended from were Frost Giants."

"Fuck."

Clint grinned and shot Natasha a knowing look. "So, it's total shock that pulls that word out of you. Good to know." He frowned at Fandral. "So Thor's energy worked because he's got the Jötunn blood way back, but you guys are pure Æsir so yours won't. Oh, shit. Unless we can get Thor here, like yesterday, Loki's hosed."

"Then so is Kara," Nat reminded him.

A knock sounded on the door and it swung open to admit Slingard. "Out," he ordered the healer. The woman rose, bowed and fled. "I've been ordered to tell you all is well," he said once the woman was gone." Your princess will join you to explain once she has rested."

"You couldn't say that in front of the healer?" Clint asked.

"I heard you speaking. She is an intelligent woman; she would have made the connection."

"I guess I'm not so intelligent."

"Clint, if none of our Æsir have Jötunn blood and all is well, that means that one of the Jötunn has Æsir blood and if I have to explain that any further I swear I'm going to claim that either Bruce or Tony is our baby's father."

He stared at her for a minute until it sunk in. "Wow. And geez, that hurts, you know. Sure, I'm not a genius, but really stressed here."

She sighed and joined him on the edge of the bed. "Sorry. I'm as frustrated as you are stressed."

He wrapped an arm around her and held her as close as possible given the arctic wear. "I know. We all are by now, and I don't mean…you know."

Her lips quirked slightly and her eyes lit up in that quiet display of humor he adored. "Yes, you mean that too."

"Damn, you caught me."

… …

Helblindi absently rubbed the spot that had hurt so fiercely when his brother's wife had taken a bit of his energy. She had not understated, he'd never felt such pain. But it had passed swiftly and she had declared that Loki was now healing. He'd watched avidly through the pain as his half-brother's form shifted when the energy transfer began. The woman was now lying on her husband's pale chest, only semi-conscious. She'd waved off his concern and murmured only that she needed rest. He sighed as the door opened and Slingard returned. "I've passed on the message," his good friend said. "They've figured it out."

He nodded. Loki's immediate circle did not include any stupid people. Of course they realized how Loki had been helped. Slingard sat down next to Gymir. He eyed the both of them. They'd played together, trained together and fought alongside of each other since they first learned to walk. He valued their opinion. "So, does this change aught?"

"It changed nothing for Laufey," Gymir said. "Your mother was full-blood, all of the concubines were; after the Fárbauti debacle he had the healers test them."

"Which means my father had Æsir blood, and likely his father did before him?" His laugh was sour. "Ah, of course; belittle what you hate most about yourself; oh, my brother," he said, looking at the still unconscious Loki. "The men who raised us had much in common after all."

"They're both total assholes," the woman mumbled from her husband's chest.

This time his laughter was genuine. "That they were, princess. Are you so blunt with the All-Father?"

"Frequently. So far he's let it go, mostly because I saved Thor and Loki, and then one time because he decided he deserved it." She pushed herself up and held her hands above Loki's middle. "His energy is regenerating pretty quickly now. He just needs to sleep." Her odd eyes met his. "Thank you. You saved his life."

"And yours." Her eyebrows lifted. "Some of us know your Midgard English," he admitted.

"Silly of us to think you couldn't. Though it's a fairly young language in comparison to others, it has roots in most of the European languages." She shook her head and made a soft huffing sound. "Yes, and mine. What do you want in return?"

"A fair treaty and trade agreement and regular visits from my brother; I like him."

Princess Kara gave the first full genuine smile he'd seen from her during their stay. "I can't guarantee any of those things, but we'll do our best. I think Loki likes you too. Your little brother, however, was a hateful little prick."

He frowned. "He allowed you to see his genitals uncovered?"

She choked on a laugh. "That was a figure of speech that's used on Midgard. When a male overdoes the ego thing, we joke that he's trying to compensate for a physical inadequacy. Sometimes it's even true." Her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed. "From your amusement and contempt of him, I guess it was definitely true in his case."

Helblindi glanced over at the table where he'd set Býleistr's head. "I can honestly say _that _was the most prepossessing part of him." Frowning, he added, "What is a cavalry?"

… …

"Anybody get the name on that truck?" Natasha sat up and looked over at Bruce. He had one hand on his forehead and looked a lot more worse for the wear than usual after a fight.

"Turns out not even the Hulk is avalanche proof," she told him.

"My head hasn't pounded like this since I was in my late teens and had my first hangover."

"Well, the cold was making you lethargic under the snow and calming you down. Kara had to keep projecting anger at you to keep you alive while we were digging you out. So technically, you shifted forms at least a dozen times in a few hours."

He blinked and nodded thoughtfully. "That would do it." One corner of his mouth turned up as he looked down at the intact arctic wear. "The amulet worked, thank Asgard."

"It was probably the only thing that kept you alive between phases. You'd pulled the top half off of your arms and shoulders before you let go the first time, but when you climbed out of the snow you were fully in it. We're not sure how that happened."

"Hmm. I have this fuzzy recollection of being inside a green bubble and Loki pulling my arms through the sleeves. Then the bubble started collapsing. I've never seen him look frightened before, but he seemed absolutely petrified. I wouldn't have figured him to be the type to fear death. Fight it, yes, fear it, no."

"That's something else we discovered. Their life force is tied together. If Loki had died, Kara would have as well."

"Oh. That I can see, yes, he'd be frantic thinking she was about to die. Wow." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled himself to a sitting position. "I'm starving, I don't suppose there's food?"

"Hawk just took the boys to go and find some." She stood and helped him ease into a chair. "Meanwhile I've got a protein bar and electrolyte water for you from my emergency stash. You need it."

"I won't argue." He took the items from her and downed half the water before tearing open the protein bar. After a few bites he chewed, swallowed and then stared at the thing. "There's very little I don't like, but this doesn't even qualify as a consumable item."

"It's a step down from C-Rations," she agreed. "But it gets the job done. Finish it."

Bruce grinned. "I know better than to argue with a redhead," he told her and went back to methodically demolishing the poor excuse for food.

… …

Hawkeye grinned as the Jötnar kids danced along beside them as they headed for the dining hall. "Is Prince Loki well?" one of them finally asked, looking hopeful.

"He's going to be," he told the boy. "We haven't been able to talk to him yet, but Slingard gave us a report from Princess Kara."

"Is he going to be our king?" one of the girls wanted to know.

"What? Oh, no. He can't stay, I'm sorry. He and his wife have to spend the next hundred years on Midgard. But Helblindi will be a great king, Loki said so." Loki hadn't said any such thing, but he figured it was better to fudge the truth a bit and make the kids feel more confident. A chorus of 'awwws' greeted this announcement. "Hey, he's tough, and he works hard for all of you, you know that, right?"

The boy that had spoken first nodded. "He doesn't claim the girls like Prince Býleistr and King Laufey did."

"Say, what?"

He shrugged. "They claimed first right when a girl became a woman."

Son of a fucking bitch. "Yeah, that's wrong. One of many reasons why they're both dead. Helblindi's not going to allow that to happen, ever again." Or if he did, he was going to answer for it, even if he had to beg Loki or Thor to get him here to ensure it. He stopped short as an adult Jötunn stepped in his path. Helblindi stared down at him, his blood red eyes blazing.

"I was not aware that the practice did not end with my father," he told the children. "Býleistr hid that from me as well." He looked down to his waist and Clint realized he'd tied the macabre trophy back on his belt. "I will not tolerate injustice or treachery being hidden from me by anyone. Should there be aught else you feel is wrong or unfair, it is your duty to tell me. I will not be angry with you, and I will investigate any wrongdoing that's reported."

The kids all looked at Býleistr's head and then up at Helblindi. "Will all wrongdoers be executed like that?" the girl who'd spoken before asked.

The corner of Helblindi's mouth quirked up into a kind of smirking smile. "No. Treason is a wrong that harms all in the realm. Lesser crimes will be dealt with through lesser penalties." He dropped to a knee to put himself more at a level with the children. "Thieves will be made to give recompense threefold. Other crimes will earn punishments appropriate to the wrong that was done, and again, any recompense shall be targeted at three times the loss."

"You can't give me back what he took," one of the older girls said with a glare at the head hanging on Helblindi's belt. This 'girl' was a bit taller than Hawk, but her face still had the roundness he associated with adolescence. Aw, crap. This must be one of the ones the frigging prick had 'claimed'.

Helblindi stood and took the girl's hands in his. "No, I cannot. But I will find some other way to repay you, I swear it."

… …

"Will I find you sleeping on my chest every time I awaken from an injury?" Loki asked his beautiful lady as her kaleidoscope eyes fluttered open.

Her lips curved up into a sweet smile as she focused on him. "Only if you're injured badly enough that I have to exhaust myself healing you."

"Hmm, pity. I rather like the sight of your fiery hair strewn across me when I wake."

As he'd hoped, the comment made her chuckle. "I guess I'll have to use you as a pillow when you don't need monitoring then." Her smile faded. "I know how you _are_, but how do you feel?"

"Not going to read my emotions as well as my physical condition?" Loki smirked at her annoyed frown. "Leave off, love. I am teasing. I know you feel that's unethical. Did we lose anyone?" he asked, sobering.

"Some of the Æsir are wounded, but I'm told they're recovering nicely. Bruce was still out of it, poor guy must be exhausted after all I put him through. I think two of Helblindi's loyal men were killed, but not in the battle, they were on guard duty inside the fortress."

"Hmm. I saw Gymir go down, he looked overrun."

"He was, but I was able to close the wounds before he came close to bleeding out. He'll be fine. Býleistr is dead, Helblindi wasn't kidding about the dismemberment and decapitation thing."

"Oh?" He tried not to smirk, but couldn't help it. "And did Helblindi carry Býleistr's head about as a trophy?"

"He's wearing it on his belt," his Kara said sourly. "And it's starting to smell, besides being gross on general principle. I don't suppose you'd be willing to put that silver tongue of yours to work and convince him to just preserve and display it somewhere rather than carrying it around with him?"

He had to laugh. "I'll see what I can do, my love."

"Brother? Do you wake?"

Loki shook off the sense of déjà vu and looked up at Helblindi. "Obviously." He wrinkled his nose in distaste; Kara was right, the grisly trophy did stink. He'd have to do something about that.

"That is glad news," his half-brother told him, deepening that annoying feeling that he'd done this before. Oh, wait; he had, but with Thor. "Are you feeling well?"

He grimaced. "Other than being exhausted and _quite_ done with nearly dying yet again, I'm fine."

… …

Helblindi couldn't repress his chuckle. If Loki was being sarcastic, he must be doing well indeed. "I am pleased to hear it. We-I had given you up for dead. Your lady never did."

"She's a very powerful empath. If she says someone is alive, they're alive."

"Yes, but we saw no way to retrieve you. Your Lord Hogun was the one who realized that some of your people could fit through our windows when we could not."

Loki looked at the woman who had levered herself up from her position on his chest and was looking down at him. "Remind me to thank him."

"You can thank all of them later. By the way, both Fandral and Hogun were willing to donate energy to you."

"Willing, but did not?"

Helblindi frowned. "Do you not remember, Loki? Their energy was…incompatible. It was you who provided the key to finding compatible energy."

Loki frowned. "I do not remember that, not at all."

"But I heard you, we all heard you." Princess Kara's frown was worried and Helblindi worried with her. Was the trauma so severe that his brother was suffering memory loss?

"The last thing I recall was not being able to concentrate any longer; Banner had shifted back to his mortal form and I could feel you feeding him anger, but he was slow to shift back and I could no longer move enough to strike him or otherwise try to hurry the change along. Then everything was bright for a moment and there was nothing more until I awoke with you atop me."

The woman held her hands over Loki's head and then ran them down the length of his body. "I don't feel anything that could account for you not remembering opening your eyes and speaking. Weird." Helblindi frowned as the word did not translate through the all-speak and she glanced his way. "It means extremely odd."

"Ah. Odd or no, it matters not. The words saved you, Loki. Of all about, only my energy was compatible with yours. We assume I must be part Æsir as you are part Jötunn."

"I don't…but. Then if Thor and I were compatible donors for each other, then he must be part Jötunn as well."

"Yes, that was what you told us, that Bestla was Bölþorn's daughter."

Loki's head dropped back on the bed and he laughed weakly. "Oh, that is rich. Wait…I did not know that, so I could not have told you such." He frowned. "There are few alive who could know that, if it is true." His eyes widened. "Odin. It must have been he. He spoke through me."

"Excuse me?" Loki's lady said. "He can do that?"

"Only with those who share his blood…Kara, I-he, if the power over the Casket is hereditary I must also be descended from Bölþorn. They truly are my family." Odd wetness, what the Æsir called tears, filled Loki's currently green eyes.

Helblindi didn't allow his anger at this to show on his face, he knew he didn't. Years of not allowing his father to see his disapproval had taught him well. But Kara, she was an empath and she knew. He found himself the recipient of her narrow-eyed glare. "Can't you be happy for your brother?" she asked him. "He was alone and thought he had no true family and now he's found that he has more than he'd ever hoped. You're part of that family, you know."

"I am not descended from Bölþorn, of that I am certain. If Loki is, it must be through Fárbauti, his mother."

"Yes, but you are half-brothers. That's a far closer blood relationship than he has with Odin or Thor, and you are related to them by marriage, every bit as much as you are related to me. You call me your sister by marriage; they're your cousins, of some sort, by marriage of your shared father to Loki's mother."

He smiled slowly as he began to see the possibilities. "Odin will have the excuse he needs to renegotiate the treaties and trade agreements in a more fair manner without losing respect."

"Yes," she agreed. "He sure will. And he'd damn well better, or I'm going to be pissed."

"Just don't threaten him again, love. Please?" Loki asked.

Helblindi shook his head in amusement over the pair as his brother's lady sighed. "I'm trying very hard not to."

… …

"Why don't I already have a FacePage, Pepper? Didn't we set one up for me when we were publicizing the Expo?"

Pepper looked up at him from her seat on the sofa. "We had one for the Expo itself. We were trying to play down your narcissism at the time, if you recall. You wanted to make it about innovation and the future direction of Stark Industries, not about Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Damn, she was right. "Okay, that's cool. But it's different now, I'm an established hero. I should have a FacePage. Or maybe one for Iron Man instead of Tony Stark?"

"I'm thinking the page should be called 'Tony Stark is Iron Man'," Darcy said. "We can play up the philanthropy and innovations and downplay the playboy crap, I mean, you're an engaged man now, you need to put a lid on it."

"And now that I'm no longer C.E.O., _again_," he said with an exaggerated frown at Pepper to remind her that she'd made him take the company back after the Justin Hammer fiasco and make her the V.P. of Research and Development instead until they'd driven the stocks back up to nearly their pre-Afghanistan high. "I can shift the focus to what being Iron Man means to me and to the people I, uh, serve."

"Oh, please, Tony. You still serve yourself." Pepper held up one elegant hand to stop his retort. "You know you love being thought of as a hero, and yes, you are one. But don't try to convince anyone that it's all for the rest of us."

Okay, that was fair. "No, not all. But I didn't take that nuke out the wormhole for me."

Her stern look softened. "No, you did not." She stood and showed the file she'd been working on to Darcy. "Here is the media you needed. Jarvis, copy this file to Ms. Lewis' social media server."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

"We need to arrange for a Kara interview first, I think," Darcy suggested as she opened the file. "I released her name on Loki's page and the fans went nuts. Everybody wants to know who Kara is. And did you hear the Tonight's Entertainment report on TV last night? Even Marco Lopez is talking about them as a couple. He called them 'LoKara'. Isn't that so cute it's nauseating?"

"It's better than 'Pepony' or 'Tepper'," Tony groused. "This whole nickname thing is just ridiculous."

"You only say that because your names don't mesh really good."

"Do you want to think about how Darcy and Bruce would sound mashed together?" he countered.

The girl shuddered. "Ah, no. Thanks."

"Thought not. Maybe my cover picture should be a still from one of the feeds showing me flying off with the nuke?"

"Tony!" Pepper and Darcy yelled in tandem.

… …

"Well, well. Look who's up and about," Hawkeye said as a group of Jötnar entered the room, dwarfing the couple in their midst. "You got more scars on your gut, Loki?"

Bruce saw the two of them in time to watch the god sigh. "And on my back. It itches, at any rate."

"Yes, you added two big scars. The entry point is scarring, too," Kara told him.

"At this rate, your people are going to think I'm mortal."

"Not a chance, Loki," Bruce offered. "You'll still be larger than life to them."

"How are you doing, Bruce?" Loki asked him. "I was concerned."

"Not bad. Ended up with a hangover worthy headache, but other than that, a meal seems to have fixed me up well enough."

Loki nodded. "Thank you. All of you," he added, looking around the room. "I-we would have died this day were it not for all of your efforts. While I understand that some of you acted only for Kara's sake…"

"Bullshit," Clint interrupted. "We don't leave a man behind if there's even one damn thing we can do to avoid it."

"You're one of us, Loki. Even Steve said so," Natasha agreed. "We may have thought there was nothing we could do at first, but the thought of it…suffice it to say we weren't terribly happy about it."

"I don't…"

"Stop right there, buster," Kara insisted. "No more 'woe is me I'm undeserving' crap from you. I don't want to hear it. Or feel you thinking it," she added.

Loki snorted softly. "Then stop the reading of my emotions since you find doing so unethical."

"I didn't have to read anything, you were projecting it."

"Uh, Loki?" Bruce decided to interject. "It was also written all over your face. Sorry, but it was very obvious."

Loki stared at all of them, plainly disgruntled. He finally shook his head and sighed. "I did not even realize I was doing it," he finally admitted. He looked around at them again. "I suppose that I've been…most fortunate as of late."

Bruce grinned as Kara gave Loki an approving hug. "That's okay," he told the god. "As it turns out, so have we."

… …

"I have been thinking on your advice," Helblindi said, looking down at him. "If you are well enough, I think we should do it tonight."

He couldn't resist a smirk. "Before anything else befalls us?"

His half-brother grimaced and nodded. "Yes, and hopefully by the morrow you'll be rested enough to return to Asgard. If your Gatekeeper has been watching, I imagine there has been no lack of concern there."

Loki hoped that Heimdall had been censoring his reports. Frigga would be worrying herself sick if she knew everything that had happened. "You're right. Kara? Are you up to monitoring me as I attempt to crown my brother King of Jötunheim while carrying the Casket?"

"If I have another meal between now and then, sure, I can handle it."

"Good. I think it will stay quiet, it got quite a workout yesterday between summoning so many storms, augmenting my shields during the battle, and preventing me from being crushed and from leaking energy while we awaited rescue. Even its power is not limitless, I think. I hope."

"What will you do with it when you return to Asgard, my brother?" Helblindi asked.

"I shall have Odin find a safe place to hide it and ward it against any disturbance. Like other objects he's collected from those who would misuse them, it is far too dangerous to be entrusted to anyone."

"And what if it is needed here again?"

"Damn. Then I shall have him stash it away in a manner that will allow it to be retrieved, but that retrieval must be done by several individuals. Perhaps keys to the place that must be used in concert. We'll think of something that will keep it out of the wrong hands yet make it accessible in time of need."

"Good. I've a light meal being sent here for you all. There will be a formal meal after I wear the crown." He turned to go. "I will see you in the great hall in three bells."

Loki waited until Helblindi and the other Jötnar were gone before turning back to his…friends. "I should have enough power back to make us all presentable. Assuming, my lady, you'll allow me to keep that power until after Helblindi is crowned?"

"Yes, and if Odin has a problem with that, he can kiss my lily white ass."

"No, he may not. That delectable ass is mine alone to kiss."

"Oh, man, TMI, dude," Hawkeye muttered, turning away from them. "Way too much information."

He smirked at the archer's back. "Are you telling me that you do not kiss Natasha's ass? How remiss of you."

"That is not what I'm…shit. You're just trying to get a rise out of me."

"No, I've succeeded in getting a rise out of you. By the way, you're blushing."

"Christ. You…aw, shit."

"Clint, quit before he gets any further ahead," Banner advised.

"Yeah, whatever."

Loki chuckled. "My apologies, Natasha. I should not have made allusions to your love life in public, it was rude of me."

She nodded, her lips curved in a tiny grin. It seemed she was neither angry nor embarrassed. "Apology accepted." Not that he'd expected embarrassment, but anger had been a distinct possibility.

"I'm going to lay down until the food gets here," Kara interrupted. "I'm still beat."

"I'll join you." He sighed. "Another good reason to finish this tonight and go home. Even I can't kiss your sweet ass here since we've no privacy."

"Damn it, Loki!" Hawkeye griped.

… …

Gymir was irritated. His prince had ordered him to a seat when he'd refused the advice of the healers. It was not going to take all that long a time, he could remain standing with no ill effects. Folding his arms across his chest he watched as the Æsir and humans entered the hall with Loki. Many of the younglings present were flocking to Loki's side. The half-breed was back in his Jötunn form, new scars the only sign that he'd been all but dead when the children and Loki's friends had rescued him in the hours before dawn. He strode through the hall as though he owned it, an Æsir coronet of rank on his brow. His lady was dressed in her armor which looked newly polished, without her helm, but also wearing a coronet. She held the silk-wrapped Casket under one arm freeing her husband to greet his rescuers and accept the touches they offered. "He's well-liked by the young," Slingard muttered.

"He has won their hearts without even trying. This mummery our princes have devised between them had best work or we shall be burdened with an Æsir queen should Loki be forced by popular demand to take the crown."

They watched as Loki and his lady stood at one end of the dais, opposite of where Helblindi would emerge from the anteroom. The woman with hair like a living flame pulled aside the silk wrapping in preparation as the door opened. "All hail Prince Helblindi Laufeyson, all hail Prince Loki Laufeyson," the chancellor called out. Gymir took a calming breath as he noted that no one seemed to notice, or at least object to the man not giving Helblindi the accustomed title of 'Crown Prince' in his introduction. Loki took the Casket from the silk and strode forward toward the throne. Helblindi moved towards it as well, slowing his steps so that his longer stride would not cause him to arrive before his half-brother. They stood together, one on each side of the throne and nodded to each other. The populace gasped as Loki reached down and picked up the crown.

Another gasp sounded when Loki took a step back and gestured with the crown to the throne and Helblindi sat down. "People of Jötunheim," Loki began speaking and the Casket glowed. His voice echoed off of the walls of the great hall, augmented again by the artifact's power. "You see before you the last two sons of Laufey. Both of us have worked to preserve your realm. Both of us have sworn before your elders to love its people. But only one of us can wear the crown. Only one of us has never caused harm to this realm and its people. I am not that man. I have heard the murmurs. Yes, the Casket of Ancient Winters answers to me as it has done for no one since Bölþorn. Would that make me a good king? The answer to that question is an unequivocal _no_. What it does make me is a friend you may call upon in time of need. What it does make me is a man you should listen to when he tells you that Helblindi is the right king for this realm. And I warn you," he said as he raised the crown above his half-brother's head. "Any who object to Laufey's eldest son crowning his surviving brother in his place will need to face both of us. We are united in knowing what is best for Jötunheim; and what is best for Jötunheim is King Helblindi," Loki concluded as he set the crown down on Helblindi's head.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Gymir smiled in spite of himself. "He did it," he muttered to Slingard. "The brilliant bastard did it."

Slingard frowned down at him. "Technically, Helblindi is the bastard," his old friend said with a solemn expression.

Gymir glared up at him. "Always the smart mouth, aren't you?"

Slingard shrugged and finally grinned. "That's what you both like best about me."

"Oh, shut up."

… …

**Author's Notes:** :Checks to see if it's safe to come out from behind the blast screen: Phew! Okay, sorry about that, folks. I really hadn't intended last chapter's cliffie; it kind of just happened. Please forgive me?

Thanks to DoctorLokiLove for the idea of a celebrity-style 'couple' name for Kara and Loki. I hear that the one I came up with has been used before, but I don't know which story it originated in or who the author was as I haven't personally seen it. If you're that person, great minds think alike! Seriously, there are only a limited number of combinations and this one sounded best.


	56. Chapter 56

"Heimdall, alert Thor if you would; we'll be ready to return to Asgard in the morning," Loki called out as they made their way back to the room they shared with Hogun, Fandral and the other Avengers. "I'm a bit worried," he admitted to her. "It seems Odin must have figured out my genealogy, else he would not have known how to help me."

Kara stared at him. "Why would that worry you? I mean, seriously, they'd already figured you were related to the royal house anyway because of how much Æsir blood you have and your shape shifting and magical ability."

"But how closely are we related? Does this put me and Thor into contention for the throne again? After all, he's also part Jötunn."

"Loki! Are you telling me that now you want the damn thing? What was all of that crap you told Helblindi, then? Sour grapes?"

He frowned. "No. I don't want it, not really. I'm…confused, I suppose."

Her husband looked lost, she decided. "What _do_ you want?"

"Other than you and having a family with you? I don't know. Even that much seems so out of reach that anything more seems hopeless."

He had a textbook case of clinical depression. Well, that was kind of a given considering everything Loki had been through in the last year. Kara ran through the treatment possibilities in her mind. Would he even trust Raj at this point? "You already have me, so we're halfway there."

"I almost lost you again," he whispered.

"Technically, I almost lost you and then our friends would have lost both of us." He gave her a sour look for her attempt to joke about it. She stopped and hugged him close. "I know, I was scared, too. But we're both fine. We've got good friends who will be there for us, family that will go through agonizing pain for us, and you've got a father who will reach across realms to help you."

"Odin is your father now, too. Or at least he considers himself such," Loki pointed out as they started back down the long corridor.

"That's just creepy. In-laws who want their son or daughter-in-law to call them 'mom and dad' kind of freak me out."

"What did you call your foster parents?"

"They were older folks, old enough to be my grandparents, so I called her Amma and him Afi."

"Obviously they had a Norse surname, were they both of that background?"

"Yep, hence the Norse names for grandmother and grandfather. They emigrated from the old country, as they called it, right after they married. Nazi Germany was starting to make noise in Europe and they wanted an ocean between them and the threat of war."

"They came all the way to a new country for a safe new life and never had children of their own. That's rather sad."

"No, they did and that's the real tragedy. They had a son and he ended up being drafted and died in Vietnam." He gave her a blank look. "It was kind of an undeclared war in Southeast Asia. I won't get into whether the U.S. should have been there or not, but it was a big mess and more than fifty-eight thousand Americans died there."

"Sad and ironic."

"Yeah. Lucky for me, though. It left them childless and willing to take a chance on a teenager no one wanted. They passed away a few years ago." She looked up at him as he held the door open for her. "I think they would have liked you."

"Of course they would have. I'm another child nobody wanted."

"Loki!" Honestly, sometimes she just wanted to smack him. "Odin and Frigga wanted you."

"Yes…I meant unwanted by my birth parents, or at least my birth father."

"Oh, okay." The room was empty for a change; everyone else was still helping Helblindi celebrate. "I've always wanted you, from the first time I saw you."

He smiled and shook his head. "Battered, bruised and drowning in my own blood?"

"No, manic and angry and sneering at Nick Fury as he told you to put down the weapon."

"Ah, the security tapes. You fell in love with me when I was like that? Really, Kara?"

She made sure he could see her rolling her eyes. "No, I said I _wanted_ you, not that I fell in love with you; big difference." Pressing her hands flat on his blue chest, she adjusted her temperature and then traced his clan markings with her fingers. "I fell in love with you when you were all set to run right out and destroy the people who had hurt me."

"Offal, not people." He frowned. "Which reminds me, what happened to the so-called researchers who used the drugs on you?"

"Does it matter? I wouldn't be who I am if they hadn't. You'd be dead, Clint would be crazy, Nat would be devastated, Pepper would still be waiting for Tony to climb off the damn fence, and…"

"I know," he told her, placing his fingers over her lips. "But they still need to pay for the pain they caused you." She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his chest. A moment later, the chilly flesh warmed as he shifted back to his Æsir form. "Kara," he said gently. "Talk to me."

"They paid. One of them is still paying," she said hoarsely. Old pain flashed through her and tears welled up. Loki gathered her closer and he combed the fingers of one hand soothingly through her hair. She could feel him patiently waiting for her to be able to continue. "It was how I discovered I could project emotions…it was an accident. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone that way, not even them."

"I know, love. Drop your shields for me, darling."

She did as he asked and his unconditional love flooded through her. "I love you too," she whispered. He hugged her tightly and pressed a soft kiss on her temple. "They'd just given me another round of the drugs; they'd decided to up the dosage. It hurt so damn bad and I screamed from the agony of it and all I wanted to do was send the pain away."

"And you did."

"Yes. The one who'd actually injected the drugs into the IV picked up a scalpel and slit his own throat. I was strapped down, there was nothing I could do but scream for help. Problem was, I screamed for help whenever they dosed me with the drugs and the staff had been instructed to ignore me. The other just collapsed on the floor. He's still a vegetable; he's been unresponsive to any mental stimuli for over twelve years. He'll eat if you put food in his mouth, but he can't communicate in any way. It's…pretty gruesome."

"I'm sorry you've had to live with that, but I'm not sorry that they suffered. Would you feel better if we asked if Lady Eir might attempt to heal the one that still breathes?"

"I honestly don't think so. That's one of the reasons I keep telling you that I'm the monster."

"You, my lady, were a traumatized child. They reaped what they had sown. Both of these individuals and the three you first used your fire upon were victims of their own evil. You had no idea that you could do such things and you had no conscious control of the abilities; it was simply a reflexive response to extremes of pain and fear. Let him remain a vegetable, I call it justice."

… …

"I don't." They both turned as Natasha entered the room, Clint close behind her. Loki glared at her, trying to convey without words that she was not to make Kara feel badly about this. The damned woman smirked at him. "Justice would have been bringing him back to consciousness only to execute him for a variety of heinous crimes, his experiments on you just the most recent of them. S.H.I.E.L.D. investigated him as soon as they recruited you." Kara turned in his grasp and stared at the other redhead. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I don't want you wasting your energy running around wondering if you should try to talk Asgard into fixing that bastard. He's dead." She shrugged one deceptively slender shoulder. "My final sanctioned target as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Why?" Loki asked the former assassin.

"He was a loose end," Kara told him instead, almost choking on the words. "Someone whose condition could prove what I could do, how dangerous I was. This mission didn't go on the official books, did it?"

"No, it didn't even go through the official communications network. It was a face to face order from Fury with Dr. Nassar there as well."

"Was this before or after I submitted to the scans for comparison to Kara's?" Loki wondered.

"After."

"They were protecting you, Kara. That was the day they discussed the Council of Regents unfortunate obsession over using you as a super-weapon."

"I know. Nick pisses me off on a regular basis, but he really does try to do the right thing. And I know everyone is angry with Raj about hiding his true position, but he's been there for us, too."

"I'm not angry with him, simply annoyed that he fooled me. I am the god of Lies; I should be able to sense a lie of omission better than that."

"You were going through a lot at the time, and how much did he actually talk?"

Loki frowned as he thought about it. "Not much," he realized. "Is that typical of your profession?"

"It's the most common therapy method. I don't rely on it as often because I know for a fact what the patient is feeling, I don't have to discover it by having them talk around it. It's a huge advantage for me."

Natasha had folded her arms across her chest and was staring at Kara. "What's wrong, Natasha?" he asked her.

"I think I was expecting more of a reaction from Kara."

Kara pulled away from him, went over to Natasha and hugged her. "I know this isn't the reaction you were expecting, but thank you. It's one less burden on my mind. I kind of see it as a mercy killing. His soul is no longer suffering and can move on."

"See, Nat? Told you she'd be relieved," Barton said from where he'd settled himself on their bed. "Hey, Loki? Any idea what this booze is made from?"

Loki glanced at the contents of the drinking horn and stiffened. "How much of this did you drink, Barton?"

"Uh, this is my second one."

"Come with me." He grabbed the archer and pulled him along to the privy. "Has Banner or Natasha had any?"

"No, they were drinking that ale you and Kara liked."

"Thank the gods." He took the horn and emptied it into the commode. "I assume you know how to force yourself to vomit?"

"Uh, yeah, but…"

"Do it, now. It's poisonous to mortals in that quantity."

"Oh, crap."

Loki watched as the mortal dropped to his knees, stuck his finger down his throat and began bringing up the liquid…and parts of his recent meal. "Natasha?" he called over his shoulder while he kept an eye on Barton.

"Yes?" She stared a moment at her lover and narrowed her eyes.

"I need you to go find a loaf of bread, a full loaf, please. He'll also need water; do you have any more of the bottled kind I saw Banner with?"

"We all do, it's in the kits I packed."

"Good, go find bread, please hurry if you'd like him to keep his stomach lining. Kara? Look through the packs and pull out the bottled water, at least three bottles of it, Barton is going to need it." He watched as the mortal woman paled and then headed out the door at a swift trot.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked as she hurried over, four bottles of the water clutched in her arms.

"The beverage he was drinking can be highly toxic to the human digestive system, particularly in the quantity he consumed. I'm having him regurgitate it, then he'll need a good deal of water and the bread Natasha is retrieving to soak up the remainder and flush it out of his system." He accepted one of the bottles, looked at the contents to ensure the additives wouldn't exacerbate the situation then opened it and handed it to the now flushed and perspiring man. "Drink it down as quickly as you can manage."

"'kay." Barton dutifully chugged the water down while Loki checked the contents of the commode bowl.

"Good, no blood. That should mean we've caught it quickly enough."

"Seriously?" Kara asked.

"Very. The Æsir and the Jötunn have enzymes in their stomachs that neutralize the toxic elements. Humans do not and it will eat away at the linings of their organs if it is allowed to digest naturally. Clint, who gave this to you?"

"Uh, one of the guard lieutenants. The one with the scar on his right forearm."

"I've got the bread," Natasha said from the door to the main part of their chamber. She continued across the room carrying two loaves of the crusty bread wrapped in a cloth. Slingard entered the room behind her.

"Ah, good. Slingard, do you know a lieutenant with a scar on his right forearm?" Loki asked.

"Of course."

"Would he have any reason not to know that Feigr is toxic to mortals so that he might in ignorance urge Hawkeye to drink Feigr?"

Slingard's eyes narrowed. "He specifically _would_ know that it is toxic. I told them all so in the early part of your visit, shortly after you gave me the list of problem items. The information has been repeated, by their captains, before every mixed gathering. We do not want any of your people death-bound from the drink of that name, nor from any of the other items you apprised us of."

"Then you have a problem."

"Not for long." The giant turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

"Do you think he'll pull a Helblindi?" Barton asked around a mouthful of bread.

"No, he'll be far less merciful. This was no mistake, it was treason. If one of you died, they could have expected that Odin would be quite displeased. Someone does not want a new and binding treaty with Asgard to replace the truce that now exists. Natasha, get your weapons ready and watch the door. Kara, go find Banner and bring him back here. Get the rest of your armor on first and expect trouble. I'll stay with Barton; I know the symptoms to watch for." He crouched down and settled back on his heels as the women nodded and headed out.

… …

Kara stalked down the corridor, fully armored and helm in place, reining her anger in. She'd had it with enemies targeting people she cared about and if anyone thought that Bruce was the one they most needed to avoid angering, well, they could think again. You could be lucky and run away from Bruce's other. Once she had their energy, they were done. Sounds of battle in a distant part of the fortress alerted her to trouble on the way. A few moments later, the fight spilled out into the corridor, Jötunn versus Jötunn, but which were the enemies and which were her friends? Another pair of fighters staggered in her path, one was Gymir and the other…wasn't. She focused fear and speared it into the enemy's psyche. He screamed, loosed Gymir, dropped to the floor and cowered with his arms over his head. "Gymir, step back," she ordered. When he complied, she let the fire flow. Both her original target and another warrior with a scar on his right forearm who tried to help him up erupted in flames.

All of the combatants scrambled away from the burning Jötnar. The terror on their faces would normally have sickened her, but all she could see was the dread for Clint in Nat's normally fearless eyes. "Princess," Gymir began from behind her.

"Every damn one of you, on your knees, _now_!" she ordered. The still tussling Jötnar hastened to obey. Well, all except for Slingard and Gymir, but she hadn't meant them anyway. "I am so sick of traitors. I came here, with my husband and my friends to help you and you have to attack someone in an underhanded and cowardly way like poison? Really? What kind of warrior poisons someone under the guise of friendship? Do you, do _any _of you understand what in hell you're messing with? Do you _see_ that?" she asked pointing as the remains of the two she'd burned. Their bones were melted together and still burning sluggishly. The denser material of the Jötunn skeleton took far longer to be reduced to ash than that of a human.

Someone shouldered Gymir to the side and she felt the Hulk's simmering anger move up behind her. "Enemy?" he rumbled.

"Both friends and enemies," she told him, smiling beneath her helm as she felt the behemoth's confusion. "Don't smash yet." Looking up at Slingard she advised him: "Pull your loyal troops out of the group."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"We will not have you and yours fighting our battles. It is dishonorable."

"They brought us into it by poisoning Clint. I am fighting _my _battle."

He nodded at the smoldering pile of near-ash. "Yours is finished. The rest is ours."

"Kara." She turned as her brother-in-law arrived. "Please take your large friend and return to your chambers. We will deal with the remaining traitors as our law requires. You must respect that."

Damn, Helblindi and Slingard were right. She bowed to him to reinforce that she accepted that he was the final word in his realm, despite his newfound fear of her. "I apologize, King Helblindi," she said, bowing again and trying to sound humble. "In my anger and fear for my people I overstepped. It won't happen again." She took the Hulk's huge forearm in one gauntleted hand and tugged. "Come on, let's go check on Clint," she told him. "Helblindi will punish the enemy."

"Helblindi-friend," he grunted and followed her even though she could still feel his anger seething beneath the surface. The Hulk's fury settled as they walked toward their chambers…okay, stomped toward them. Her own anger was fading as well. After a few minutes she felt Bruce's calm behind her and she turned and caught him as he staggered. "Wow, I'm still conscious," he muttered.

"Yep, good job. Did anything happen to you before you changed?"

"Uh, yeah. One of the Jötunn stabbed me with an ice blade of some sort." He held up his right arm to show her the reddened hole in his sleeve. "They were trying for the torso, but it hit the armored portion and slipped." A wry grin curved his lips. "The other guy wasn't nearly as amused as I am. He left a crushed bundle of blue flesh back there."

"Serves the traitor right. God, I am just so over this shit. I wonder if there was this big a problem before Malekith stuck his ugly nose into things?" She shuddered. "I really hope that son of a bitch is dead under all of that ice and snow. If I ever have to lay eyes on him again, it will be too soon."

"I guess we won't know for certain until some of it melts. We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled."

She reached for their door and stopped as she felt a spear of uneasy vigilance on the other size. Activating her comm she said, "Nat, you got your ears on? We're just outside the door."

"Come on in," her friend responded. "Thanks for the warning, my trigger finger is itchy."

Kara chuckled as she pushed open the door. "Yeah, I could tell."

… …

"How's Clint?" Kara asked her as she slipped in the door followed by a weary looking Bruce.

"Improving." Natasha nodded at the bloodstained rip in Bruce's sleeve. "Healed?"

"Yes, it's fine now."

"Kara?" Loki called from the bathroom. "Did you have any problems?"

"Um, yes. It's handled, but I may have pissed off your brother."

Bruce chuckled. "May have?"

Natasha shook her head, trying and failing to suppress a grin. "Is everything settled, then?" she asked.

"Um, no. But Helblindi is handling it now."

Loki came out of the bathroom, half-carrying her Hawk over to the bed. "Lie down and rest, but keep eating the bread. I'll find more water for you," he told her lover. "Kara, you might want to check his energy, just to help him along on this."

"Absolutely," she said, pulling her gauntlets off and tossing them on the nearest table.

"Ask her what she did to Helblindi," Natasha advised, letting the grin emerge this time as Loki's eyebrows rose.

The prince sighed. "Kara, what did you do to my brother?"

"Um, I may have been a bit pushy with his people; but I backed off as soon as Helblindi showed up to take charge." She pursed her lips mutinously. "_And_ I apologized to him and bowed…twice."

"Don't look at me," Bruce told him when Loki frowned in his direction. "My other just took out the one that attacked me personally," he said as he held up the arm with the blood rimmed hole in the fabric.

"All right. You're both here and safe…I assume my brother is still alive?"

"Yes, I am still alive," Helblindi grated as the door swung open. "Your wife needs a lesson in protocol."

"Oh, now that's not fair," Kara snapped. "Half of Gymir's wounds were reopened and I had no idea who was loyal and who wasn't. I helped as best I could."

"You should have stayed out of it."

Natasha snickered, she couldn't help it. The giant was glaring down at Kara, his expression affronted. Kara wasn't backing up an inch. Her hands were on her gold-armored hips, her bright eyes were narrowed and her posture screamed annoyance. She wasn't one bit afraid of the towering Jötunn and he knew it. "Both of you need to back up, calm down, and start thinking instead of reacting," she advised them. "You look like a pair of children squabbling on a playground."

Kara deflated first. "You're right, Nat; I have a problem with going into automatic aggressive mode when I'm afraid or when people I care about are threatened."

Helblindi was still glaring. "Your actions threatened my authority," he accused.

"Her actions nearly made you wet your pants," Natasha corrected. "She's scary, get over it, we've all had to."

"See, Loki? Even my friends are afraid of me. I don't…oh never mind, what's the use." Nat watched her closest female friend fling herself into the nearest chair and close her eyes. "Please tell me you're not afraid of me?" Kara asked as Loki crossed the room to kneel beside her.

"I'm absolutely petrified…that you'll decide I'm the worst mistake you've ever made, sweet lady." Nat grinned at Kara's disbelieving snort. Loki looked up at her and winked. "Come now, we're all exhausted. I know you did what you thought you had to, and I'm certain if Helblindi takes the time to think about it, he'll know the same." Nat smirked at the warning glare Loki gave his half-brother.

The newly crowned king huffed in annoyance and settled himself on the largest of the chairs, one they'd been using as a sofa. The giant filled it comfortably. "The current issue is being resolved. The remaining traitors have confessed and have begged for mercy. What concerns me is that some of my people will choose to believe that I cannot enforce my rule without Kara's support so I shall need to go through another one of these rebellions once you are all well gone."

"I'm sorry," Kara said from her huddled position on the other chair. She turned into Loki's body as he sat down next to her. "I really thought Gymir was in trouble and I didn't want you to start your reign without your shield-brother by your side."

"Your intentions were good," Helblindi allowed. "But I must show control. You are all confined to this chamber until you leave. Guards will be posted and if you attempt to leave this chamber without Slingard's escort, I will be forced to issue a public punishment. You would not find it a kind one."

"Brother…"

"No, Loki. Your wife overstepped her bounds. Do not fight me on this; I would prefer us to remain close, to truly be brothers. If you all remain confined here until it is time to leave, all will be well. Your other two leaders have been located and are with the other Æsir. They have been advised they are to remain there for the night. Now, I understand they do not have one of your distance speaking devices. I will take them one if you wish so that you may communicate."

Natasha waited but Loki refused to look at Helblindi. She turned to the king and pulled her own communicator out of her ear. "Yes, we'd appreciate that. Please give this to Hogun. Fandral talks too much."

… …

"I screwed up," Kara said quietly.

Loki hugged her close under the blankets. She'd removed her armor and the arctic wear, claiming it was too hot with him in Æsir form. He'd refused to change back as he didn't want to contribute any further to her obvious exhaustion. "You did the best you could, love. It could have been much worse. At least you realized your mistake and made your apology promptly and publicly. It will be fine. On the morrow we'll be home and you can rest up before we return to Midgard."

"After I yell at Odin."

He chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. "I'd really rather you did not. Please?"

She sighed and tucked her face into his neck. He smiled as he felt her lips press a gentle kiss against his pulse. "All right. For you, I'll let it slide."

"Thank you, Kara." He rubbed her back soothingly until she fell asleep then settled her on the mattress, kissed her forehead and got up to check on Barton. Thanks to their quick action and some follow-up healing energy from Kara, the archer was looking much better. "Any fever?" he asked the woman who held him close.

"Not a noticeable one. He seems to be resting comfortably and there hasn't been any of the digestive system noises that you wanted listened for."

"Good. He was very lucky. We all were. I did not relish the idea of explaining to your friends at home that I'd managed to lose one of you."

Her perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose. "Uh huh. That's the only reason you were worried?"

He shrugged. "Kara considers him a friend."

Natasha shook her head slightly. "Keep trying."

"I owe him."

"How did you become the god of Lies when you can't even lie to me?" she asked.

Loki groaned. He was out of practice, obviously. "Part of it is the ability to always know when another is lying. That hasn't failed me, or at least, not when my mind is fully my own."

"He likes you too, Loki. Asking you to be our baby's godfather was his idea; I didn't push him into it and it wasn't because you're married to Kara." He stared at her, shocked beyond responding. "Bruce is okay, I checked on him a few minutes ago. Go lay down with your wife. Kara will sleep better if you're holding her."

"Thank you, Natasha. Good night."

… …

His sister by marriage was suspiciously quiet this morning, Helblindi thought as he and Slingard and a small company escorted them to the approved travel point between their realms. While it was technically possible to enter Jötunheim using the Bïfrost or the Cosmic Cube at any point, the power needed to use another area was substantial. Kara trudged along beside her husband who was in his Æsir form and garbed in his Asgardian dress armor. Her helmed head was tilted down and her gauntleted hand clutched Loki's forearm. Helblindi swallowed a frustrated growl wondering if the woman was as subdued as she appeared or was hiding her temper. By the set of her shoulders and the expression on his brother's face, he guessed the former. He stopped at the edge of the rocks that surrounded the ancient carving. "My first feast day as king is in seven Midgardian months. Will you attend?"

"Me or us?" Loki asked curtly.

"Both of you." He frowned down at his brother's wife. "Kara, I am not angry with you, I needed to show that I am king, not you and not my brother. Are you angry with me for that?" he asked her.

The faceplate on her helm opened. "No. I'm embarrassed that I made it necessary and I was worried I'd ruined the chance for you and Loki to have a relationship."

"You have not. You are both welcome to visit, but please, try to leave administering justice to me and my appointed representatives, hmm?"

The woman's cheeks flushed pink. "If no one attacks us, sure," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "I will take that if you will refrain from doing more than defending yourself and yours from direct attack, hmm?"

"Sounds reasonable," she agreed.

Loki was shaking his head with a rueful expression. "Do you really wish a wife you care for so very much, Helblindi?" he asked. "You see what I must deal with."

He looked from one to the other and grinned. "Absolutely."

… …

Hearing voices over the wind, Thor stood up from the small boulder he'd been using as a seat while waiting for his brother and his companions to arrive. He walked out from behind the tall standing rocks that provided a wind-break to the circle. He walked out slowly and looked at the gathered group of Æsir, Jötnar and mortals. Despite knowing that they'd had problems over the past week, all of them looked comfortable with each other. Loki and Kara were even smiling as they spoke with Helblindi…who was wearing the Jötnar crown. That was a new development. He squared his shoulders and strode towards the group. "Greetings, King Helblindi," he offered politely.

The Jötunn nodded. "And to you, Thor Odinson.

"Has my brother completed his work here as he was tasked?"

"For now, yes. He feels he may need to return in a few months to unleash more storms as the snow pack compacts. We will need to watch and measure it to be certain."

"So all is well?"

His brother growled half under his breath and Helblindi smirked. "Of course. Our brother is an honorable man. He has done all he has promised and has done it well despite unexpected difficulties cast in his way."

Thor grinned. "We realized there were problems; I'm glad to see all is well." He looked Loki in the eye. "I was worried for you and yours, my brother."

Loki's expression softened. "I was worried for us as well. But we are fine and more than ready to go home." His brother gave Helblindi a mischievous smile. "Despite my half-brother's best attempt to provide adequate entertainment."

Helblindi snorted. "It was you who provided the best entertainment, brother. But perhaps we should have a boring visit next time?"

"It would be best, I think."

Now he was really curious. "Well, the Bïfrost repairs were finished in your absence, Hogun, Fandral, would you send your squadron home?"

"Aye, Thor, we will," Fandral agreed and they stepped aside to allow the other Æsir to pass.

Thor noted numerous injuries, but all appeared, from what he could see under the cloaks they all wore, to be healing well. "It seems you have quite the tale to tell, Loki," he commented.

"It is no tale, and I'd prefer to tell it but once if you don't mind."

"I…you take offence where I meant none. Please, do not make assumptions that I mean ill because of my poor choices in wording. You know I'm no orator and have little skill with it."

Loki stared at him for a moment then nodded. "You are right, I did assume. I am tired, brother and ask your forgiveness."

"None is needed, not between us. If Helblindi gives us leave, let us go home."

"By all means, Odinson. Take good care of our brother. I would have him and his lady visit to celebrate my next feast day."

"I will. And congratulations, King Helblindi," he told the Jötunn. "We'll be in contact."

… …

"Welcome home, Prince Loki, Princess Kara," Heimdall rumbled as they stepped out of the dome. He frowned at the redheaded mortal female who accompanied them. "Was this trip less stressful, Lady Natasha?" he asked.

"Much, thanks."

He nodded and looked over the remainder of the prince's companions. They all looked drained. "A carriage is on the way, and a meal has been prepared."

"Will our parents be joining us?" Loki asked.

Heimdall frowned at Thor. "I didn't think it an appropriate subject to bring up in the presence of the Jötnar," Thor muttered.

Loki turned to glare at his elder brother. "What happened?" he asked.

"Father overextended himself and slipped back into the Odinsleep," Thor said quietly.

"Kara, please?" the younger prince asked.

"Absolutely." She shifted the spear she had been carrying to her other hand and wound her arm around his waist. Heimdall noticed Loki's emerald eyes take on a slight glow as he reached out and took a firm grip on his elder brother's arm. The trio vanished, leaving a light green haze behind them.

"Holy crap," the Hawkeye said. "What happened?"

Heimdall shook his head slightly. "The All-Father is not well, his children have hurried to his side."

"Damn. Poor Loki just can't catch a break."

"Indeed."

… …

Loki handed the silk-wrapped bundle containing the Casket of Ancient Winters to Thor. "Hold this," he ordered then hurried to Frigga's side. "Mother, how is he?"

"Resting, my son. How are you? We worried so when Odin felt your pain."

"I-I am well. He felt it? How? Why?"

"Your father loves you as much as I, though he's a hard man and does not show it so well. My unease troubled him, so he monitored you closely. He did not say just what had happened, we knew only you were badly hurt." Frigga bit her bottom lip and reached for him. He hugged her close. "Odin sat and watched the flames for hours on end, waiting to see how you would fare. With the storms raging, it was impossible for any of us to reach you. The night passed and he moved not. Near dawn he spoke and then collapsed."

Loki's eyes drifted shut as guilt flowed through him. "He saved me, mother. He far-spoke through me and gave Kara the clue she needed to help me."

"He loves you, Loki," Frigga told him again as she held him close. "We all do. Not allowing Thor to go haring off to try and save you was the hardest thing Odin has ever had to do. We knew that Thor would not be able to reach you in time and that he would only make things worse. Your brother did not take it well."

He smiled and looked up at the headstrong oaf of a brother that he could finally admit to himself that he loved. "No, he would not. Thor, put that down," he told him. Once the silk-wrapped bundle had been set down, he gestured his brother and Kara over and pulled both of them into a hug with his mother. "Thank you," he told them. "Thor, you especially have been waiting to hear this fall honestly from my lips for the longest time. I love all of you. For better or worse, by blood or no, you are my family and I am grateful for your love and your belief in me."

"My beautiful son," Frigga murmured as her face lit up with unfeigned joy. "Welcome home."

**Author's Notes:** Aw da fluff!


	57. Chapter 57

"What happened to you?" Frigga asked after a time.

He drew her to one of the chairs that had been brought into the chamber while they spoke. "Thank you," he told Thor who had hurried about arranging it. "Sit, all of you, and I will tell you what transpired."

"And how it is that Helblindi is now the Jötnar king?" Thor asked with a slight smile.

"Yes, all of it." Kara settled down beside him as he spoke. He noted that she'd managed to strip down to the leathers. "Hot, darling?"

"Uncomfortable."

He frowned and loosed a wave of magic. Her clothing rippled and was replaced by a light, loose gown. "Better?"

"Much, thank you."

"Loki, I don't think…" Thor began.

"You are right. Kara, we're here…" he paused and changed his own clothing, sending everything back to their chambers. "And comfortable, you'd best bind my power back." She nodded and he felt the magic slide away. "We discovered soon after arriving that Prince Býleistr was up to no good. It came to a head late afternoon of the day I was injured when we learned that he had conspired with Malekith to take the throne for himself. Malekith's payment was to be the Casket."

"Gods, no," his mother gasped. "That would be disastrous."

"Yes, well, Býleistr wasn't much on intelligence. As Helblindi put it, he liked power and prestige but never put in the work for it." He shrugged dismissively. "On our last trip out to release storms, we were attacked by Býleistr's supporters and a cadre of Svartálfar magic users. We had all but won, thanks to my lady's power and Dr. Banner's beast when…"

"Loki, please stop using that term. It really makes Bruce feel bad. You can refer to his other as the Hulk, okay?"

He sighed. "Fine. The _Hulk_ broke the concentration of the magic users. There were enough of them that I was hard pressed to do more than shield from their barrage of attacks and could not respond. Once their concentration was broken and their shields failed, I was able to launch my own attack. That was when Malekith stabbed me from behind with a magically enhanced spear. It cut shallowly into one side of my meng mein before punching through my abdomen. From Malekith's satisfaction with himself, I think he believed he'd impaled it through the middle. He quite obviously expected me to die from the wound."

"Your meng mein is not in quite the same place as a full-blood Æsir, Loki," Frigga told him.

He nodded. "I removed the spear and kept the Casket from him then the…Hulk took him down and rendered him unconscious through his shields. I ordered the rest of our people back to the fortress. Unfortunately the Hulk tends to, uh, bellow quite loudly and he'd started an avalanche. I was too weak to shift either of us back in time and we were both buried, as was, we hope, Malekith."

"By the nine, brother! How did you survive?"

"Sit back down, Thor. I used my magic to create a bubble around myself and the Hulk. The shock of being buried made him lose consciousness briefly and I made certain Banner was securely dressed in his arctic gear before I slapped him awake and enrage him enough to change again. I spent hours trying to hold a shield and keep him angry so he would not resume his human form while hoping he'd understand enough to not try and harm me. Eventually Kara was able to get outdoors and find us empathically and she began feeding him anger to keep him in that state every time he relaxed. I passed out before we were fully dug out. I knew nothing more until I awoke in Helblindi's bed, my wound well on its way to healing."

"My turn," Kara said. "It took a long time to dig them out because the only way to leave the fortress with the doors blocked by the avalanche was through narrow windows. Me, Clint and Nat could fit through. Hogun, Fandral and two of the other Æsir made it out as well, but of the Jötnar, only the children were able to fit. So it was the seven of us and a dozen children doing the digging. I wasn't much help; I had to keep Bruce going. Once we got them inside I discovered Loki was losing meng mein energy. Fandral and Hogun both volunteered to help, but their energy wasn't compatible. Then Loki spoke…or I thought it was Loki, and told us that Bölþorn was Bestla's father. I didn't know what that meant, but Fandral did. And I was really pissed about it, considering the crap Loki put up with, but I guess I'm over it now." Kara turned and glared at his father's still form for a moment then her expression softened. "He did save you," she whispered.

"He did, love."

"So, I realized we needed a part Jötunn and part Æsir, but didn't think that helped us any in the heart of Jötunheim, considering the only people I now knew had both were in Asgard. I was frantically scanning for mixed blood energy when I realized that Helblindi's was compatible. I'm not sure where his Æsir blood comes from but he has it. The Jötnar, the full-bloods anyway, don't seem to have a meng mein organ at all."

"Thrym's mother was Æsir, dear," Frigga told them. "And that is why it is so surprising when one of them masters sorcery as Bölþorn did. They have far greater difficulty channeling the energy without that organ.

"Thrym was Laufey's father, right?" Kara asked. Frigga nodded. "Okay. So, Helblindi agreed before I even finished asking him and we were able to patch Loki up pretty easily." She snickered. "He actually kind of yelled at me to just do it and stop hesitating." Loki frowned as she turned to him. "Your half-brother was really worried we'd lose you, it was kind of cute."

"My half-brother is three meters tall and has blue skin and excessively pointed teeth. There's little about him that can be called _cute_."

The brat rolled her eyes. "His concern for you was very cute."

"What became of Prince Býleistr?" Thor asked.

Loki smiled grimly. "I had a discussion early in our visit with Helblindi regarding my killing of our father. After I explained my reasons and asked him what he would have done, he informed me that if he had been the one betrayed he would have dismembered Laufey and would have carried his head about as a trophy." Frigga gasped but Thor looked fascinated. "He was neither exaggerating nor jesting."

"He-he carried his brother's head about?" Thor asked with wide eyes.

"Yep," Kara told him. "After a while it stank. What did you do about that, Loki?" she asked. "It wasn't smelling or dripping during the coronation."

"As you asked. After I recovered I magically preserved it. I imagine my half-brother will display it for a long time to come. Barbaric, but effective, I suppose." His eyes strayed to the energy saturated table where Odin lay motionless. "Mother? How closely are we related?" he asked.

… …

Frigga reached out and took her younger son's hands. "You showed what your father called 'mastery' of the Casket. It is an inherited ability and for some unknown reason, only manifests in males of Jötnar blood. The last person to fully develop to that level was Bölþorn. His son, Mimir, lost his true life before reaching that level. Mimir had a daughter, Bera who became pregnant with an unknown Æsir warrior's child and fled Asgard out of embarrassment when he refused to acknowledge being the child's father. We know she carried a daughter, and that Bera found it easy to shift to Jötunn form, so we suspect she must have hidden away in her grandfather's old home near a small village far south of Thrymheim."

"Laufey's queen was named Fárbauti. She came from a small village in the south. Laufey assumed she'd been unfaithful with an Æsir when she gave birth to me. He didn't wait long enough for my clan markings to emerge before killing her and abandoning me to die."

"So, we must assume Fárbauti was Bera's daughter. Bera was Odin's cousin, and you, then, are his first cousin, twice removed and Thor is your second cousin, once removed. You are blood family, Loki, but we loved you before we suspected that."

"Does anyone outside of the family know that Odin and Thor have Jötunn blood other than those who were with us in Jötunheim?"

"Haakun and Volstagg know. Perhaps a few other close friends, but that is all."

"You knew," he said and started to pull away. She held on tightly.

"I knew and it did not matter to me any more than knowing that the babe I used magic to suckle at my breast had even more Jötunn blood than my husband. I love Odin, I love Thor, and I love you. I understood why he kept it secret. I wasn't happy with the decision, but I understood it."

"Loki?" Kara said quietly as she leaned into her husband's side. "Please let it go. I know it's painful, but that pain is going to keep festering if you hold on to it."

"Your wife is very wise, my son."

"Heh. I want to scream, I want to shout, and the two of you think I should just accept it and _Let .It. Go_. What of you, brother?" he growled, turning to Thor. "Do you think I should just let it go?"

Thor sighed uncharacteristically. "I think you should forgive…not forget, but forgive. You were terribly wronged and we were both lied to. It hurts, and I know your hurt has continued far longer and deeper than I can imagine. But we can come through the other side of that pain…together. You've admitted your love for us, so now forgive us so that we can all move forward together as a family."

"A really, truly dysfunctional family," Kara added. "But it's ours and nobody can come between us _but _us."

"I do love all of you, even him," Loki agreed, nodding at the still figure in the center of the room. "But forgiveness is difficult. I will try, that much I will grant you." Frigga was hopeful as he looked at her with some of his old mischievous sparkle in those emerald green eyes. "I suspect you shall all need to remind me rather frequently for a good bit."

"That much I'm certain we can manage," she told her son.

… …

Sif frowned as the punching bag flew off of its hook yet again. "You're using too powerful an uppercut," Captain Rogers informed her. "To keep it on the hook you need to direct the force of your blows straight out or down." He hefted the bag back onto the hook. "But hey, you're not destroying it any more, that's a step in the right direction. It shows you've learned how to gauge the strength of your strikes. That's very important if you want to take down an opponent who isn't Æsir tough and you want them to survive it."

"Why would you wish an opponent to survive your attack?" Nyvorlas interjected from where he was peppering a target with small throwing discs that Stark had informed them were called 'shuriken'. "I like these, by the way," he continued as he glided over to the target and began plucking the elegant bladed weapons from its center. "How may I obtain a good quantity to take back to Ljósálfheim?"

"I imagine Stark can order some for you," she told the prince. "Have you aught with you to trade?"

He shrugged a leanly muscled shoulder. The outfit he was wearing that Darcy had called 'board shorts and a wife beater' exposed a great deal more of the Ljósálfar's pale flesh than she was used to to seeing even though it hung loosely. Every inch of him was finely sculpted muscle. It was a shame that the fashions of their worlds covered such up on a regular basis. "I'm certain there is some magical service Tony would be pleased to trade for. While his technology does much, he will need to deal with Loki on a regular basis. Even with his magic bound, I imagine our host would be far more comfortable if he had shielding that is impenetrable by magic."

"Yes, it might make surviving Loki's eventual displeasure more likely."

"Whoa, come on. Loki isn't going to hurt any of us," Rogers interjected. "We're his friends."

"He's hurt friends before," she retorted. "However," she admitted reluctantly. "It was an accident."

Nyvorlas was smirking at her. "Our bet was based on intent, if you recall. If he _accidentally_ kills one of them, I do not lose."

"Yes, yes, I'm aware. I'm also aware that Loki's patience is not the best and that Stark is horrifically annoying. If I'm tempted to squash him from time to time, the temptation will be overwhelming for Loki." She snorted. "And he has had little exposure to Darcy. Having her always about will be a game changer, I think."

"A year on Midgard is but a tiny bit of time. You might as well pay your debt now," he said silkily.

Sif watched as the man swept the fall of pale hair up and fastened it with a bit of stretchy material that Darcy had given him. He spun and the shuriken flew from his hands faster than thought. Every single one of the spinning blades landed across the center of the target in a neat row. Was it wrong to not be particularly concerned that she would lose this bet? He turned back to them, a knowing look in his smoky gray eyes. "I will pay my debts if and when they are owed," she advised him, lifting her chin.

She could feel the heat in his stare as he raked his eyes up and down her also unaccustomedly skimpily attired form. "I look forward to that day, my lady."

… …

Loki was sprawled in the window seat of their sitting room, staring moodily over the spectacular Asgardian vista. "I wanted to thank him," he muttered as she came up behind him and stroked her fingers through untidy hair that had grown out so long the ends were beginning to curl. "To tell him that I believed now, that I know he loves me but now…I may never have that opportunity."

Kara blinked back the wetness that was trying its damnedest to escape from her eyes at his plaintive tone. Odin had better recover from this or Loki was going to have yet another horrific dose of guilt dumped into his psyche. "He knows," she assured him, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his sculpted cheek. "I got the feeling that he was aware of what was going on around him, maybe even more than that. Does that make sense?"

He looked up at her with a thoughtful frown. "It does. He's come out of it before knowing not only what has occurred here, but what has happened far away. Perhaps his consciousness expands in that state." A shrug dismissed the notion. "I would still like to be able to tell him firsthand, to see his reaction, to know for a fact that he is aware that he has succeeded in…I have been so lost, Kara."

"You're found now. Are you going to get dressed for dinner or should I send our apologies and have food sent here?"

"No, I'll dress. It's important to support Thor. Mother will wish to remain in the chamber with Odin; if we do not go, Thor will not have any family at the high table with him." She blinked, opened her mouth and then closed it again. A sarcastic 'who are you and what have you done with my husband' wasn't appropriate when he was trying so hard to change. He glanced up and smirked at her expression. "Go ahead, say it. I know you have a bit of Stark-worthy snark to dispense," he said.

"You know, I did, but the moment is gone." Sitting down on his lap she wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her nose to his. "I love you so very much and I'm so happy that you're coming to terms with everything. I knew you were a good man at heart, and I knew you could become a great one. I am so lucky to be able to go along for the ride and see that happening."

'Humph. You are all that will allow that to happen, if and when it does. If I change for the better, it will be because I want you to be proud of being my wife, not ashamed of it."

"I am already proud to be your wife and don't you ever forget it."

… …

Bruce stared at the platters of food that were being brought into the greater dining hall. The parade of servers seemed never ending. "That is a lot of food," he said quietly.

Natasha Romanov gave him one of her trademark knowing smiles. "If half of them have even half of Thor's appetite, it won't be enough."

"Wait until you guys see Volstagg eat," Clint snickered. "He makes Thor's appetite look dainty."

"How is your appetite?" he asked the archer.

"I'm hungry, believe it or not. They don't mess around with the healing here. I mean, when Kara had one of her migraines they didn't just cure the headache, they cured her entire nervous system in just a few hours."

"Impressive. So you're good to go, all the Feigr out of your system?" Bruce hated to push the point, but as a geneticist that dabbled in medicine, the level of healing possible in so short a time boggled his imagination.

"Yep, I've got a clean bill of health and a new appreciation for asking about what I'm consuming. Eir gave me a long list of things to avoid across the Nine Realms. Oh, I've got it in writing so we can share it with everybody. She says none of it will be served here. Frigga made sure the kitchens won't prepare anything that's bad for us until we go back home."

"We're assuming there are no traitors in Asgard," Natasha murmured.

"Hey, Kara saved both of their princes. I helped her save Thor. There pretty much isn't anyone who doesn't love Thor and those few that don't love the blonde lug think Loki's all that. So we're all golden."

"As golden as the Valhöll itself, my friends," Volstagg boomed as he carefully lowered himself down onto a bench. "Your deeds are spoken of with much relish in all of the pubs and gathering places. The bards are composing ditties to celebrate your heroism. Even now the tales of the large green man who can smash Jötunn like eggs are firing up the imagination of our warriors."

"That's not good," Bruce told the hefty red-bearded man. "A lot of the Jötnar are our friends. There's going to be a treaty and trade agreements. It would be a good idea if the younger Æsir, especially, learned that they're not monsters, not any more than I am."

"That will take some doing, Dr. Banner," Volstagg admitted. "Perhaps you could return to Asgard when the treaties and agreements are being negotiated. Can you take your warrior form at will?"

"Uh, well, I just need to get angry. The problem is that I don't have a lot of control in that form. I might be able to recognize Helblindi or one of his representatives as a friend, but there's no guarantee."

"I don't know, Bruce," Natasha offered. "You showed a great deal of control this time out. You listened to both me and Kara and followed our instructions pretty much to letter. I think the instructions have to be very clear, but you do process them and follow them when they are."

"That's good to hear."

"So, you'll come then?" Volstagg asked as he grabbed a leg of something that looked like a giant chicken and took a bite.

"If I'm officially asked to, yes, I guess I will."

… …

Thor tried not to smile too hard when Loki arrived in the greater dining hall with Kara on his arm. He'd figured the couple would dine in their chambers so that Loki did not have to deal with the stares and whispers of their people. For they were whispering and staring as always; but this time the whispers were encouraging. The warriors that had accompanied his brother had excitedly told of Loki's words and deeds in Jötunheim and those stories were colored in the honor they now held him in. Most telling were the relieved rumors that thanks to Loki, Asgard was looking at a true chance for a lasting peace with their age-old enemies. "Brother," he greeted as the pair reached him. "I am honored to have you join me this evening."

Loki's eyebrows rose. "Honored?"

"I'd assumed you would prefer to spend private time with your lovely bride rather than being on display at a public meal, so yes, I consider it an honor that you chose to join me. Thank you." He half held his breath, wondering how his brother would take the statement. Much to his relief, Loki smiled.

"I did not wish to leave you with only the company of friends this night. With father indisposed, you should have the support of family beside you." A familiar but not seen in ever so long mischievous grin graced his beloved brother's lips. "However dysfunctional, as my lady puts it, that family might be."

"I am glad of it. Be prepared, though. There may be toasts to you."

"Whatever for?"

"From the stories the warriors have brought back from Jötunheim, the people have hope for peace. The tales they have told are glowing, to say the least." Thor watched, confused as the smile slipped away and Loki began to scowl.

"I wish they would not. If their high expectations are dashed, the blame will be laid at my feet. I have quite enough there that I do deserve."

"Fear not. If we do not end up with a lasting treaty from this, I will make sure that all know it is the failure of our negotiators and not yours. You are bringing them to the table, that is more than any other has been able to do in over a thousand years. You also, from what I hear, have the respect of the Jötnar people. No one of Asgard has truly had that, ever. They feared Búri, Bor, and Odin, they never respected them."

"Yes, well, they didn't hand over the crown they'd earned to their younger brother for the good of the kingdom either."

"You truly crowned Helblindi yourself? I'd heard it, but found it difficult to countenance."

"It shut them all up about whether or not I was abdicating willingly. It also silenced the elders who were ever so impressed by my mastery of the Casket. I gave quite an excellent speech if I do say so myself."

"He really did, that's not his innate narcissism talking."

Thor stared at his sister by marriage. Loki glared at her. "Kara, is it too much to ask that you do not publicly psychoanalyze me?"

"Oh, please. Everyone knows you think highly of your ability to talk your way into or out of anything you want. There was no psychoanalysis required. Of course, it's not hubris, you really can talk your way into or out of most anything when other people would fail utterly. You did talk your way into my bed."

The glare faded into a smug smile. "So I did. One of the more difficult tasks I have ever undertaken, but well worth it."

"I think so too."

"I am glad of it as well…though not for the same reasons, of course," Thor finished hurriedly. "It well pleases me to see my brother and my friend so happy together."

"Nicely said, brother," Loki said with a laugh. Thor noticed some of the closer diners turn to stare at them. It made him think. When was the last time Loki had genuinely laughed with good humor? It had been far too long.

"Welcome home, Loki," he said as he draped an arm across the slighter man's shoulders. "It is good to have you here beside me where you belong."

… …

"Well? What do you think?" Tony asked, sounding eager. Of course, when it had to do with machinery, Tony Stark was always eager. "Is this amazing, or what?"

The car was pretty, she'd give him that. It also looked fast…and another fast car was the last thing Tony needed. If he got one more speeding ticket he was going to be uninsurable. It was amazing he hadn't caused any accidents yet. Tony was an excellent driver; he'd spent an entire summer taking race car driving lessons from some of the greatest drivers in Europe. "I don't know, Tony. Did you really need another Lamborghini? You've already got one."

"Aw, come on, Pepper. This isn't just a Lamborghini. It's a Lamborghini Veneno…a real supercar for a superhero. This puppy not only looks like a jet fighter, it's got a 552kW V12 engine. It can rocket from zero to sixty-plus in two point eight seconds. Aaand, it's exclusive. They only made three of them and this was the only one they made in red."

Pepper was going to hate herself for asking, but she had to know. "How much did all of this exclusiveness cost you?"

"A mere four and a half million."

"Jesus, Tony! For one car?"

"For a one of a kind supercar for a one of a kind superhero."

"Not any more you're not. What about Rhodey?"

"Nah, totally different thing. He's the Iron Patriot, I'm the Iron Man. My suit is cooler because I'm always adding to it. He's stuck with the version he, uh, well…"

"Stole from you."

"Well, I consider it a gift. Kind of payback for me being a total asshole."

"You were that."

He heaved a dramatic sigh. "I know. But now I'm not. Well, not a total asshole, anyway. Though I will admit that I still have asshole-ish tendencies."

"You do; like shelling out four and a half million dollars for an exclusive car when you could probably build one that is much better and far more exclusive. I'm surprised you didn't buy the other two." She frowned as he started fiddling with a set of keys. "Oh no, Tony, you didn't. Please tell me that you didn't buy the other two cars."

"You thought it was pretty, didn't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"And wouldn't it be even prettier in white so it wouldn't clash with any of your outfits?"

"Tony for the love of…"

"I got you the white one. They only made three, one in red, one in white, and one in green; they used the colors of the Italian flag, get it?"

She looked around the garage and sighed when she realized there were two vehicles the same size as the red Lamborghini Veneno that had canvas covers. One of them had a big white bow on it, as did, she finally noticed, the small box he pulled out of the driver's seat of the red one. He handed it to her and she opened it to find a set of keys with an alarm fob on it. "Oh, Tony."

"Press the button," he urged, sounding like a little kid. Shaking her head she complied and the car under the cover with the white bow on top flashed its lights and beeped. "Surprised?"

"Totally." He was giving her a hopeful look. She shook her head ruefully and leaned in to give him a kiss. "Thank you, Tony." He beamed and she chuckled. Loki was right; she was marrying an overgrown child. Good thing she loved this particular boy in an adult body. A thought crossed her mind and she frowned. "Tony, did you buy the green one too?"

"Um, well…would you look at the time, don't we have a meeting with someone somewhere?"

"Tony, you didn't."

"Well of course I didn't, okay, so I totally did."

"You don't even like green."

"No, but I thought it would be a nice wedding present for Kara and Loki."

"Kara doesn't like fast cars and Loki doesn't have a driver's license."

"Yet. Loki doesn't have a driver's license _yet_. He'll take to it, you'll see. If he can reprogram Jarvis under my nose, he can drive a car. Besides, what's another four and a half million between friends?"

"Oh, Tony."

… …

As Thor had predicted, there had been several toasts offered to honor Loki. He'd smiled affably and managed a surprisingly modest response to them, but she could feel his embarrassment and unease. Thor had been over the moon about his brother's sudden acceptance. Kara could understand that, and also understand why Loki was waiting for the proverbial 'other shoe' to drop. The long meal was finally over and the attendees were drifting off or into groups for conversations. Loki was stuck chatting with a few people that were making` him even more uncomfortable. She caught Clint's eye and beckoned him over. He grabbed Nat's elbow and the two of them pushed through the group and flanked Loki. "Loki, come on man, you promised you'd show us that garden. Nat really wants to see it. What do you say?" Clint said with as innocent an expression as he could muster.

Never let it be said that Loki was slow on the uptake. "So I did. Well, then; a promise is a promise. If you'll excuse us?" he said to the others who had gathered around as the pair led him through them. Kara joined the three as they emerged. "Thank you," he said quietly as she slipped in to his side. "Does Thor not see the insincerity of these people? Is he that dense or are they more sincere with him?"

"Probably a combination of both," she told him. "I picked up that two of them _were_ sincere; the other five were just trying to jump in on the newest big thing."

"I think I might prefer being universally reviled," he grumbled.

"No you wouldn't. You just need to perfect extricating yourself from the sycophants."

"If it's any consolation," Nat told him. "I couldn't tell how much you hated it. I'm certain you made a good impression with the ones who mattered."

He sighed. "Yes, it is. Thank you." Loki glanced back over his shoulder and Kara felt a slight shudder run through him. "Perhaps a stroll in the garden would be a good thing. Where is Banner?"

"Bruce is having an involved conversation with Volstagg and some of the Council members. He knows we're leaving and so does Thor. It'll be okay," Clint said. "Let's get going while the getting is good."

"This way. I'll take you to the family's private garden. Since mother is with Odin there should be no one there." He was feeling better, his playful smirk was back. "And it really is worth seeing. Frigga has a replica of the waterfalls of Fensalir as its focal point. I've always found it…soothing."

They walked in silence for a few minutes and emerged into a well-kept garden. It was gorgeous, but when it finally opened up in the center it was spectacular. "Amazing," Nat breathed. "This would be an incredible place for meditation."

"I've always found it so," Loki agreed.

"You meditate?"

Kara tried not to snicker at Loki's affronted look. "Certainly. The practice of sorcery requires it unless you have no care as to whether it goes awry or burns out your power. One must have full control over all bodily functions, even down to the flow of signals through the nervous system before trying something new."

"Sorry. I'm not used to seeing you as the contemplative type." The former assassin shrugged. "There's a lot more to you than I'd realized and I will be surprised when I discover something that's new to me, so don't take offense as none will be intended."

His frown was thoughtful. "Fair enough," he finally allowed.

… …

Bruce nodded as he listened to several of Odin's advisors expound on the political structure of the Nine Realms. Well, eight of the Nine Realms, none of them had the foggiest clue what went on with Earth's governance. They'd all stared at him in varying degrees of shock when he'd given them a quick overview. Not that he blamed them. It was unnecessarily chaotic and downright messy. Of course, they didn't have anywhere near the population that Earth…Midgard did. "Okay," he finally interjected. "What I'm hearing is that you believe that the other councils won't trust any promises the Jötnar make because Laufey and Thrym were notorious for making promises one minute and then breaking them the next."

"That is correct, Dr. Banner," Þórvaldr, one of the senior councilors agreed. "There is a long history of this."

"Which is fine, but we're dealing with a new régime. Helblindi is nothing like Laufey and has already begun instituting positive reforms."

"He ripped his own brother limb from limb and carried his head about as a trophy," Lady Eðla, one of the few women on the council, said dryly.

Removing his glasses, Bruce cleaned them to buy time to tamp down his annoyance. It had taken four days since his conversation with Volstagg for them to get this far. It didn't help that the All-Father was still in his Odinsleep and the council wasn't comfortable talking about peace without his guidance. Taking a calming breath as he set the glasses back on his nose he looked the annoying woman in the eyes. "Yes, he did. _After_ Býleistr conspired with Malekith to kill Loki and sabotage all chances for peace and then attacked Helblindi directly with the intent to kill him and take the throne. When Loki and Kara did something that he felt compromised him without harming anyone innocent, he simply put them under house arrest. He's being proportionate to the offense."

"With all due respect, doctor," one of the other councilors began in a tone that made it clear that he held mortals in no respect whatsoever regardless of their title or identity. "I don't see what qualifications you bring to this body and why your opinions should be heard, let alone given consideration. And why should a weak mortal be any help in dealing with the delegation from Jötunheim, if and when such a delegation comes."

"I was asked to be here by Lady Frigga and by Thor. If you'd like to discuss that with them, be my guest. In the meantime, please don't make me angry. I don't even like me when I'm angry."

"The Jötnar hold Dr. Banner in highest respect," Volstagg spoke up from the comfortable chair that supported his bulk. It had been a surprise to find that one of the Warrior's three was a member of Odin's council. Even Barton had been blindsided by that one. He hadn't been part of the proceedings the other Avengers had witnessed due to his close involvement with Loki and Thor and was also not part of the Tribunal that had heard the case. "As do our warriors. While I have not seen his Berserk form, I spoke to Skógi who was there when he emerged from the depths of an avalanche all but unscathed." Volstagg took a deep drink from the horn he held and belched. "Skógi tells me he becomes bigger than the Jötnar themselves and easily as fierce; best not to anger him."

"He is also the one who subdued Loki on Midgard," Thor added as he strode into the room. One of the scribes followed him in. Bruce suspected the girl had run for the Thunderer when the council began getting off track. "Do you question my judgment in appointing him to this committee? If so; you'd best be prepared with documented precedent to override my decision." Bruce bit back a grin at the legalese. When Thor had suggested his involvement, he'd asked the god to call in Loki to discuss the pros and cons and the younger brother's sharp mind had come up with a number of scenarios and the means to deal with each. Thor had obviously taken Loki's advice to heart and memorized the appropriate responses. The councilors were all staring at their prince; some with great respect, others with unfeigned surprise. "Well then, what is next on the agenda?" Thor asked, staring them all down.

… …

He made his way slowly through the soothing paths of the garden. Kara had told him that Loki had retreated to its center 'to think', as she'd put it. She'd also told him that she felt her husband wanted to brood without her trying to pull him out of it. His lips curved up in a rueful smile. That was so like Loki. His emotions ran deep and woe to the man or woman who dared to interfere with them. He dared. There was little choice in the matter; a private talk with Loki was long overdue. The rushing of the waterfalls hid the sound of his approach and he could see the younger man sitting sideways on the bench facing them, his knees drawn up to his chest, long fingered hands clasped across his shins. The dark head was slightly bowed and tilted to the side facing the mesmerizing flow of water. As he stepped up behind the boy Loki's head snapped up and his shoulders straightened. "Father," he breathed.

Loki turned and stood in one fluid motion then froze in place, one hand partially extended. His expression was confused and a bit anxious, Odin wasn't certain why. "I'm happy to see you well, my son." The boy's hand dropped down to his side and he bowed his head. "Loki, what's wrong?"

"I-I nearly caused your death. How can anything about me make you happy?"

Odin sighed. His lady and Loki's were right. The young idiot was still blaming himself for everything. "Enough, my son; you are not to blame for my foolishness in staying awake for two days and nights and before attempting a work of great power. I should know better. It is a miracle that I reached you at all; if I had not and you and your dear lady had died, it would have been due to my negligence."

"But…you did reach me; you did save me…and Kara." Loki sighed deeply. "And in doing so, revealed yet another lie. In saving me you've also destroyed me yet again. Do you understand what all these lies have done to me?" The boy's tone was understandably plaintive and despairing. It broke his tired old heart.

"I am sorry, my son. I could tell you the lie was necessary, but that would not make it any less painful. There are many things I would do differently were time malleable, but alas, it is not. I can only hope that you will one day forgive me."

Loki's bright green eyes stared at him steadily. "I will try. But I suggest we sit down and you tell me _everything_ I need to know. No lies, no pretty stories. If I am to trust in you again, you must tell me the clear truth. Another lie revealed when I am at my most vulnerable will shatter me beyond repair."

"No, Loki. You would survive another such revelation. You are stronger than you realize. Like the graceful willow tree, you bend with the force of the wind and then straighten proudly again. What would not survive is any possibility of a good relationship between us. Regardless of your birth, you are my son and I love you. Come, sit. We have privacy here; your mother has sealed the garden. We will talk until you have all of the answers, until you know everything that your mother and I know of yourself and of our family. It is far past the proper time."


	58. Chapter 58

Kara stared at the path that led into Frigga's garden. A shimmering golden haze floated over the entire retreat, preventing entry. Her mother-in-law had assured her that the two men inside could leave whenever they desired; she just wanted to guarantee that they had privacy to settle their differences. While Kara hadn't seen any anger in Odin when he entered, she still worried. "How long they been in there?" Clint asked as he hoisted himself up on the wall behind the small bench where she sat. Nat squeezed her shoulder gently and sat down beside her.

"Nearly three hours."

"It's late, Kara," the other redhead told her. "Why don't you go to bed? Loki will find you there. I know you're not going to be able to sleep, but you could at least stretch out and rest. You had a tough workout with the magic-users today learning how to break through shielding."

"I still stink at it. If Malekith isn't already dead, I still can't touch him."

"You're getting better. From the talk I heard, you impressed that grand vizier person. Quite frankly, he doesn't look like anything impresses him."

She snorted. "Cantankerous old fart. He's ancient even compared to Odin. Apparently he was a contemporary of Bor; Fandral says he's only still alive out of sheer stubbornness. But he knows his magic, particularly shielding. I couldn't make a dent in his."

Clint chuckled from his perch on the wall. "Yeah, but you shocked the shit out of some of the others. That blonde chick pissed herself when you got that projection of terror through her shields."

"Amora. Yep, she's definitely not a fan, now on two fronts. Gossip Central…"

"Fandral again?"

"Yes, Clint. Anyway, he says she sniffed around Loki for years, but mostly because she was interested in his power, not because she wanted him personally. Stupid bitch really had the hots for Thor."

"Kara, you think any woman that doesn't find Loki more attractive than Thor is stupid."

"Well, come on, Nat. If you didn't have Clint and you didn't have a history with either of them, which would you pick?"

Nat stared at her with a deadly expression. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to answer that, you've lost your mind."

She thought about it and shrugged. "Okay, good point. Besides, I'll admit I'm horribly biased."

"No. Really?"

"Oh, stop it. What is taking them so damn long?" she griped.

"Geez, Kara. They've got over a thousand years of issues to iron out. Even if you gave them one minute for each year it would take 'em a good seventeen hours."

She sighed deeply. Clint had a point. "I guess I should go to bed."

… …

"Perhaps you arose too soon," Loki suggested as they walked slowly out of the garden. His father's eyebrow lifted. "Not that I don't appreciate you wanting us to talk before I had to leave, but I'd rather you took more care for your health."

"I am well, son, don't fuss. And barring the advent of Ragnarök I'll be here for several thousand years yet."

He had to bring that up. "If the Norns are right and I have anything to do with the outcome of Ragnarök, you'll be here for several thousand years whether it comes or not."

"No, Loki. Promise me that if I do not survive it, you will not blame yourself. Amongst the gods there _will _be a sacrifice even should we win. As I am the All-Father, that sacrifice will be mine to make."

"No, father…"

"With great power comes greater responsibility. I have known this since this prophesy first surfaced, as has your mother. By the time Ragnarök arrives, Thor will be ready to sit the throne and you will be free of your sentence and ready to take your rightful place as his first advisor. The two of you will bring in an unprecedented era of peace and cooperation between all of the Realms, including Midgard."

"But that's not fair."

"Isn't it? I am a warrior, my son. I was what was needed when all of the Realms were warlike and teeming with arrogance and aggression. Now, save for Svartálfheim, Muspelheim, and Midgard, peace is sought by all the realms. And even in Svartálfheim and Midgard the people want peace; it is only their leaders that wage war. My time is all but done. Now what is needed is not just a warrior, but a diplomat. I am no diplomat; Thor is no diplomat and never could be though his prowess as a warrior is still needed. That is why you are so important. Together you will take the Realms forward. Were either of you to stand alone the Realms would fall into chaos."

"I feel as though I've just gotten a real father, I do not wish to think about losing you so soon." He knew he sounded childish, but could not manage a more reasonable tone.

Odin stopped walking and turned to him. A tired smile emerged and Loki was pulled into a firm embrace. "I know, my son. We have time yet, I promise you."

… …

Thor stirred from his doze as the figures emerged from his mother's garden. Loki and Odin, arm in arm, both wearing quiet smiles. It was a miracle. "Thor, what are you doing here?" Loki asked.

"I cannot sit outside mother's garden?" he asked. Both men frowned at him. "I wanted to see this," he admitted, spreading his arms to encompass the pair. "I know how good it felt when Loki and I spoke; I wanted to see that with the two of you."

"You wanted to see if we'd managed to come to blows, more like," Loki muttered. "You know our tempers too well."

He grinned as his brother winked at him then laughed aloud as his father did the same. "For all that you are only distantly related, the both of you are very much alike," he informed them. "Come, let us break our fasts. The day is ready to begin."

"Father needs to get some sleep," his brother protested. "And I need to find my lady."

"I have slept for nigh on six days, and your wife is likely in her bed. She is not nearly as foolish as my elder son to stay up all the night waiting for us," their father told Loki. "But let us take our meal in the royal apartments. Your mother will wish to join us and we can send for Kara. We'll start this new day together, hmm?"

"Aye, father," Thor agreed as Loki nodded. "As a family."

… …

Steve smiled as he stretched out his legs and stared up at the stars. This had been a great idea. Sometimes Tony wasn't so bad. A great view, a convertible, and a pretty girl; what a combination! "That was fun," Beth told him as she snuggled into his side. "And the bear is adorable." A giant stuffed bear with a blue bow around its neck that he'd won for her pitching baseballs on Coney Island sat in the back seat.

"Yeah, it was. It was pretty great of the carnie to let me play even though he recognized me. I thought it was kind of unfair."

"No, they set the rules, you followed them; you even stepped back another two yards. Besides, they wouldn't have discriminated against a major league baseball player, so why shouldn't they let Captain America play?"

He shrugged. "I guess. Still feel kind of funny about it."

"You think too much. Look at those stars. That's what I miss about living in the city, you never see the stars."

"There're sure a lot of them."

"You're not even looking at the stars, silly."

"Maybe not, but you're a lot prettier than they are." He grinned when she blushed and her long lashes fanned out on her cheeks as her eyes closed. "I'm really glad you moved into the tower. With your schedule and mine, we'd hardly ever get to spend any time together if you hadn't."

"It's made it a lot easier on me; I don't have to work nearly as many hours." She sighed and he felt her soft lips brush against his jaw. "Pepper offered me an official job as soon as I get my degree as the Avengers' personal physician. I tried to tell her that my residency is going to take up a lot of hours, but she's kind of insisting."

"They'll make arrangements for the hours you get called in to help us to be counted towards your residency requirements. You know that, so what's really bothering you?" Beth sighed again and he squeezed her gently. "Come on, out with it."

"They want to start paying me now, but I'm not even doing anything."

"Uh, sure you are. Didn't you do that whole nutrition thing for us?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Didn't you set up that computer record thing for our medical records and put all those old paper records in it?"

"Sure, I set up a database but…"

"Then you deserve to get paid. End of story."

"Steve, how did you get so logical?"

"I had to be when I was young. As a small guy, that and being stubborn was the only way I got things done." He ran his fingers across her cheek and down to her chin. "Beth, you're part of our support team now. It's all good."

"I'm getting free room and board." She managed a small smile when he shook his head. "I guess it just feels like charity. I've worked for everything I have, Steve, and it just seems like cheating."

"Beth, you're the most honest and open person I've met since I've been back. Don't worry about it." He frowned as tears sprung up in her eyes. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Steve, I'm sorry, but can we go back? I really need to call my boss at my other job to talk about work and stuff."

"Um, okay, sure." He hit the button to close the convertible rooftop and watched her chew on her bottom lip. "Beth, did I say something to upset you?"

"No, you just made me think." She leaned over and kissed the edge of his mouth. "It's okay, that's a good thing, but I've really got to take care of some stuff, okay?"

"Okay."

… …

Raj groaned as he looked at the clock sitting just past his telephone. He'd just gotten to sleep a half hour before. What emergency had cropped up now? "Nassar, here," he answered.

"It's me."

"What's wrong?"

"I-I just had to tell you; um, I quit. I'm sorry, but I just can't do this."

He sighed as he sat up in the bed and leaned against the headboard. "What can't you do, Bethany?" he asked gently.

"I can't lie to him, Raj. I-I love him, and I won't continue to lie to him, it's wrong."

"You have not lied to Steve Rogers." Silence greeted his statement. "Bethany, what lie have you told him?"

"A lie of omission is every bit as much a lie as speaking an untruth. I'm sorry, but I believe that. I can't do it, Raj. I can't be your designated successor and lie to Steve about it. Eventually he'll find out and he'll hate me for it. I'm not going to lose him over this, I can't."

He rubbed his free hand over his face. "Where are you now?"

"Um, at Avengers' Tower."

"Go find Rogers, and bring him here."

"I don't understand."

"Bethany, I need you to keep this position. The selection of chairperson is critical. You have everything needed to be successful: compassion, an innate honesty, determination, intelligence, good judgment, and the ability to manage people and events without seeming to be doing so." He paused to let his words sink in. "You are special, Bethany. The regents will run roughshod over a weaker person and will corrupt a less honest person. Ultimately, it is not I who need you, but the entire world."

"Maybe this is selfish of me, but Steve means more to me than the rest of the world."

"I know. Go find him. Bring him here. He's already aware of my involvement with the council. We'll talk to him and see if he can accept you having that involvement when I'm no longer able to do the job. If he can't come to terms with it and support you, I'll accept your resignation, all right?"

"You're willing to trust him?"

Raj had to chuckle at that. "Trust the most honest and trustworthy man in the world with a secret? If we can't trust Captain American, who can we trust?"

… …

Kara moaned as Loki's long-fingered hands traveled down her spine. "You are so good at that," she breathed as he continued the best massage she'd ever had in her life. "I think I'll keep you."

His chuckle made her smile, particularly since any self-pity or fear over losing her or not deserving her was absent for once. "You, my love, are quite stuck with me. But I'm pleased that makes you happy."

She rolled over as he slapped her left butt-cheek playfully. "Very happy. Today has been such an amazing day. Has your face cracked yet?"

"Has my…what?"

Shrugging, she told him, "You've smiled so much today I was worried your face might crack from all of the unaccustomed exercise of the muscles."

His jaw dropped and she burst out laughing. "You little minx," he managed before pouncing on her and holding her arms up and to the sides as he stared down at her. His expression was priceless…and it was all hers. "I love you, Kara. How have you managed this?"

"I got undressed and complained about my back aching."

"Ha-ha. I'm not jesting. I felt mortals were beneath me, yet now I love a woman born one with all my heart and I'm friends with many others. Granted, they are all exceptional mortals, but still insignificant, or they should be."

"They're not, you know."

He sighed. "I do know. I also have the family I thought I'd never have. You have done all of this. What is this magic you wield?"

"Besides love?" He nodded. "Plain old human cussedness; I refused to accept anything less." She smirked as he shook his head. "Just like I refuse to accept anything less than my husband giving me at least three orgasms before we get some sleep."

Loki laughed and dropped down on his side. "No less than three? My, you are a demanding woman."

She shrugged. "Well, since you _are_ a god, I thought that was totally reasonable."

"Hmm, true. Very well, then, but you will have to promise the same to me."

"Okay…but any you get in giving one to me counts."

"What? No, that would be my doing."

"You wish. Nope, they count or no deal. Remember, you're a god and I'm not, so consider it leveling the playing field."

"You will be a goddess one day, Kara. Meanwhile you're a terribly demanding termagant."

"And you love it,  
admit it!"

"So I do, my lady." She watched avidly as he crawled backwards on the bed and slipped one hand between her cooperatively spread thighs to begin a delicious dance on her clit. Before he even stopped moving backwards she was shaking and arching her back in ecstasy. "That's one," he smirked.

… …

"You can tell so much already?" Bruce asked Lady Eir as she finished examining Natasha Romanov.

"Yes, my power allows me to see the body at the genetic level, even that of an unborn child."

"Do you…could you…"

"I can see what happened to yours, Dr. Banner. But I have no way of reversing the changes."

He nodded. "It was worth asking. But if the goddess of Healing can't fix the damage, I'll have to live with it."

"I am curious. Why do you call it damage? I see no actual damage to the cells; it is a change, more of an enhancement to their structure. That is why it cannot be reversed."

Natasha's lips had curved into a light smirk. Clint was standing over in the corner frowning with as much confusion as he felt. "I can't see it as an enhancement. I can't control what I become or when I become it, so it feels like damage to me."

"But you're learning to control it, Bruce," Natasha said. "Every time it happens you're more in control."

"When's the last time you hulked out when you specifically didn't want to; uh, not counting when you were under direct attack?" Clint asked.

"It's been over a year. But I've come close."

The archer grinned. "Close only counts in horseshoes and explosives."

Eir was fussing with something she'd taken from a closet. "Take this," she said, handing him a corked vial. "On high stress days put no more than a drop in a hot beverage. Only use it on very high stress days as continued use will decrease its effectiveness and your body will eventually develop a tolerance for it. It will not prevent you from allowing yourself to release your anger; simply make it more a matter of choice. I give you so little as by the time it is gone, it will no longer be effective for you."

He looked at the brown glass tube and nodded. "Thank you. Even if I never have to use it, it's a relief to know I'll have that option. That alone may negate the need for it."

"Exactly," the goddess agreed.

… …

Loki frowned in disgust as he brushed back his hair. "I don't have time to cut it. I don't know why I didn't think of it yesterday."

"You were having too good a time yesterday to worry about the length of your hair. Why do you want to cut it, anyway? Thor is letting his grow long."

He held up the ends that were showing a distinct and offensive tendency to wave as the layers grew out. "This…this is unacceptable."

His darling lady smirked at him. "I think it's cute and yes, I do know you don't like that word especially in relation to your looks." He sighed as she carded her fingers through the long strands. "I could braid it back for you. That will make it curl more when you take the braid out later, but until then it won't bug you as much."

"Thank you, Kara. I can keep it braided until we next retire." He sat back and relaxed as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then began her task.

… …

"I should stay here, with you," Thor protested.

Odin eyed his elder son speculatively. "You are needed to appear with Haakun and Loki before Midgard's United Nations."

"Loki and Haakun can manage without me, you need more rest."

"Do I? Have I suddenly grown feeble or do you have a reason to wish to avoid your friends there?"

The golden head dropped. "No father. I-it's complicated."

"It will become more so should you continue to avoid the woman. Go to Midgard; speak with her. Be honest about what you want and need. If she is half the person you think she is, she will understand."

"She will be hurt; while I did not say I loved her, I know my actions implied it."

"We hurt and are hurt when love is not mutual. It happens. The only way to soften the blow is to be honest and open as soon as possible." His lips twitched as Thor squirmed uncomfortably. "I am heartened that you care enough to wish to avoid hurting this one. You have not always considered the hurt you have caused the women who have offered you their hearts."

The boy sighed, not like him at all…and that was good. "You are right, father. It is good that I do not wish to cause her pain…that I even recognize that this _will _cause her pain, but that does not make it any easier."

"No, it does not. Now go, your brother and your friends await you."

"Yes, father."

"Thor?" He waited until his son turned back to him, still looking troubled. "I love you and I am proud of you. Caring for the feelings of others shows that you are a true man rather than an overgrown boy."

… …

Steve fidgeted as they waited in the middle of Central Park. Haakun had carved a circle of runes here around the edge of a fountain. The city had allowed Tony to set up a switch that allowed the water feature to be turned off and a platform slide over it so that it could be used as a landing platform for the Bifröst. All at his expense, of course. It hadn't taken much persuasion. Being able to get direct help from Asgard instead of having them travel across the country or ripping a new gate open with the tesseract and attracting unwanted alien attention was a big selling point. It had been two weeks since the others had left for Asgard, and Haakun was certain that either they'd all return or Asgard would send a messenger today. "Seems kind of funny to just be standing around out here waiting," Beth said. "Maybe we should have brought a picnic or something to like, fit in."

"We had to turn the fountain off; that kind of makes it obvious something's going down. But yeah, we should have gotten more comfortable." He smiled at his girlfriend. She looked as tired as he felt, but she was still the prettiest girl around. Waking up shortly after one in the morning to her frantic knock and pleas to take a ride with her last night had been the start of a long surreal experience where he discovered that his girl was the next in line to be the chairperson of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Council of Regents. Only three people in the whole world knew it: Dr. Nassar who was the current chairperson, Beth herself, and now him. Nick Fury didn't even know. It was pretty neat that Nassar trusted him enough to bring him in on it. Beth's safety depended on her anonymity until such time as she had all of the chairperson's resources. He'd keep her safe. She loved him enough to quit the job if it interfered with their relationship, but Nassar had convinced him that she was needed. It would be fine.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked softly

"Aren't they worth at least a quarter in today's money?" he teased.

"Probably." Beth reached out a hand and he wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed gently. "Everything about you is priceless to me," she added.

That made him smile. Yeah, everything was great. A weird trembling in the air caught his attention and he turned toward the fountain. The sky seemed to open above it and a blue light was shining from it. A moment later figures hurtled through and landed on the platform. The rest of the Avengers were home. "Welcome back, everyone," he said.

Thor straightened first with a bright smile. His broad shoulders eclipsed all of the others though the horns on Loki's helm made him look taller than his larger brother. Kara stepped from Loki's side and Clint turned to his right as they both grabbed Natasha Romanov by the elbows. "Nat, how's the stomach?" Kara asked.

"Not too bad. I think the ride on the Bifröst is a lot smoother than the tesseract. I'm okay."

"Great."

Steve frowned. "Didn't like traveling through the gate, huh? I wouldn't have figured you for having a sensitive stomach."

The former assassin glared at him. "I don't."

… …

Loki looked around them. They were standing on a raised platform in the middle of a park. Glancing up he saw the tell-tale skyline. Central Park. He wasn't fond of this place. Between being taken home from here in humiliation and then nearly dying here, it didn't hold the best of memories. Rogers and his blonde girlfriend were there to greet them, hand in hand like the innocents they were. How annoyingly sweet. He bit back a sarcastic comment, knowing Kara would not approve and would give him that _look_. "Captain," he said instead. "Miss Anderson, thank you for greeting us."

Kara turned back to look at him with an approving grin. At least she appreciated his efforts to be friendly. "Our pleasure," Steven said. "We've got a couple of cars nearby. It's a more low profile way to travel than having S.H.I.E.L.D. bring in a Quinjet." He grinned. "I haven't qualified to fly our own solo yet. I'm working on it, though."

They followed the couple to the nearest drive. Two limousines pulled up to meet them and they all piled in. Thor and Bruce joined him and Kara. Barton and Natasha took the other with Rogers and his young lady. Mid-morning traffic ensured that the trip to Stark's…Avengers' Tower was tedious, but it was still soon accomplished. A gate opened and allowed the vehicles to drive into the underground parking area where they were dropped off next to the elevators. "Welcome home, your highnesses, Natasha, Master Archer, Dr. Banner," Jarvis greeted as the elevator doors closed.

Loki frowned. "Is there a reason you are still addressing Barton as Master Archer, Jarvis?" he asked the AI.

"I was not instructed to stop doing so, Prince Loki."

"Clint decided he liked it, so we didn't override you. Huh, I guess Jarvis never addressed him in New Mexico or on Asgard," Kara said.

"No. Very well, then, carry on."

"Loki, it would be nice if you cancelled out the other programming."

"We'll discuss it later," he told her as everyone else looked at them. "I'll consider it if Tony is behaving himself."

Kara sighed. "We'll be bouncing his grandkids on our knees before that happens."

"His choice."

"Brother, I don't understand, what are you discussing."

"It's old news, Thor."

"It was funny. It would have been hysterically funny if you hadn't had to leave just then. I would have loved to see you trying to keep a straight face in front of Tony when Jarvis started calling him Anthony and everyone else their joke names."

Thor looked between the two of them, obviously disappointed that he'd missed out. "Jarvis," Loki asked. "Did Kara or Lady Pepper override the instructions for Prince Thor?"

"No, your highness, they did not."

"Thor, ask Jarvis a question, any question will do."

"Oh boy," Kara muttered.

"Have faith, love."

Thor stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Friend Jarvis, is Tony here in the tower?" he finally asked.

"Indeed, Prince Fabio. Mr. Stark is in the observation lounge."

Loki smirked as Kara dissolved into laughter, Steven's girlfriend choked and buried her face in the soldier's shoulder. Even Natasha snickered aloud. "Loki, man, you outdid yourself this time," Hawkeye told him.

Banner was biting his lower lip, his dark eyes alight with amusement. Rogers seemed confused. "I don't get it," he admitted.

"Oh, Steve," Beth managed. "Fabio is a romance novel cover model with long flowing blonde hair and really sculpted muscles. He's not known for being, uh…particularly bright."

Thor's jaw dropped. "Brother! Do you really see me thus?"

"I used to. Remember, this was done before you took me back to Asgard to search for that artifact. I still had no appreciation for you."

"Very well, then. But do make it stop."

"If I must."

… …

"Honey, they're ho-ome!" Tony called out as the elevator doors opened and disgorged two and a half gods, two 'enhanced' humans, two former assassins and a soon to be medical doctor. "So, welcome back," he said to those who had just returned from Asgard. "What did you bring me?"

"Tony!" Pepper scolded as she came into the living area from the kitchen. "He doesn't mean that," she said to the others.

"Yes, he does," Kara disagreed as she peeled herself from Loki's side and came over to him. "Here," she said as she held her hand out and tried to give him a small bundle wrapped in silk.

"Don't hand me things. I hate being handed things."

Pepper sighed. "You can hand it to me."

"No, actually, I can't. I'm under orders to hand this only to, and I quote, 'The Man of Iron'. So, Tony, take it or I'm going to drop it on the floor at your feet. But first I'll tell everyone else to get out of the tower because I really have no clue what will happen when this puppy hits the ground."

His eyes widened and he held out his hand. Only the Asgardians would specify 'Man of Iron'. Kara carefully placed the small item in his palm and he fought back the urge to jerk his hand away. Gingerly pulling the gold cloth back, he gasped as a small blue cylinder with one flat and one rounded end was revealed. The thing glowed, much like the tesseract or the crystal in Loki's spear. "What does it do?"

"It's a one-shot recharger. I was informed that you are to keep this with your suit at all times, that you're going to need it. Frigga couldn't tell me when or how, just that it would make all the difference. It's kind of a last resort thing, don't use it until you'll get killed otherwise, okay?"

"Okay…how do I use it?"

"Just place the flat end against the arc reactor and hold it there until the cylinder stops glowing."

"Cool beans. I'll add a compartment to my suits to store it that I can open if I'm on low or no power."

"Aren't you bothered by this gift, Anthony?" Loki asked.

"Oh, come on. What's with the full name? Didn't I suffer enough with the hay?"

The trickster grinned at him. "Consider it a warning, Tony."

"Geez. Why should it bother me?"

"This gift was commissioned from our greatest sorcerer by Frigga, one of our most gifted precognitives."

Tony blinked slowly as he processed the possibilities. "Son of a bitch. That means we're going to face something that two and a half to four and half gods, if Sif and Haakun are still here, can't handle without me losing power at a point when it will still matter to our surviving it. Oh fuck."

"Tony, lang…"

"Pepper, this deserves the word. Think about it," he interrupted. "Your old not-friends?"

"Probably. They are still trying to return here. Without an artifact being available to them on their target realm, Midgard is the only access to the remainder of the Nine Realms and the Mad Titan desperately wishes to reach Asgard and the dangerous treasures protected there."

"Shit. How long we got?"

"I've no idea. If they find a way to open a bridge, it could be days. Otherwise we're looking at years. No more than a decade, though."

"Okay, I'll bite; why no more than a decade?"

"Seriously, Tony?" Apple Pie boy interjected. "Do you think you'll still be Iron Man in ten years or more?"

"Huh. No, Cap, you're right. Even though I'm in the suit, it's tough, takes a physical toll. I can handle it now, but in a decade, yeah, not likely." He rewrapped the cylinder and stuck it in his pocket then clapped his hands together. "Okay! Well, lemme get this beauty stashed away in my suit room and then we can get everyone settled. Any special precautions on storing it?" he directed to Loki and Kara.

"Just keep it in the silk and protect it from impacts, Frigga told me," his honorary sister instructed.

"Got it. Why don't you all get comfy, and I'll run this downstairs and be right back." His eyebrows shot up as Thor slipped into the elevator behind him. "What's up, Buttercup?" he asked.

Thor frowned. "I've had quite enough of the nicknames this day already, my friend."

"It wasn't me," he said quickly.

"Nay, it was your computer voice…though Loki admits it was his doing."

It hadn't occurred to him to check the programming for a name for Thor, though he'd found one for Nick Fury. "Okay, lay it on me, Jarvis. What did Loki program you to call Thor?"

"Prince Fabio, sir. Though his highness has just now reversed that order."

Thor sighed heavily. "Thank the Nine."

"He only picked on the men for some reason."

"My brother is chivalrous to a fault unless he is in battle with a female opponent."

"Good to know. Okay, you didn't jump in here to talk about your brother, you hate this 'moving closet' as you call it. What's up that you couldn't talk about in front of the others?"

… …

"Not could not," Thor admitted to his friend. "Would not." He frowned and followed Tony out of the moving room when the doors opened again. The mortal headed for a clear panel which opened upon his approach. "Where might I find Jane Foster?" he asked as the panel closed behind them.

"Uh, she'll be here in the tower in a few hours. She had a lecture to give at MIT. S.H.I.E.L.D. asked her to give it, so they're flying her there and back. What's the matter, missing your ladylove?"

He stared at the floor. "You have had much experience with the women of Midgard. How does one tell a worthy woman that they are not loved while hurting them the least?"

"Oh, shit." Tony was staring at him, the deep brown eyes wide. "Buddy, you're asking the wrong man. That's not something I've ever been able to manage." The engineer broke off and turned to what appeared to be a blank wall. He palmed a spot that looked like all the rest and a portion of the wall slid out towards him, revealing a box-like padded space within which was nestled several arc reactors. Reaching in, he rearranged the items and then settled the silk-wrapped artifact on a side by itself. Tony stepped back, palmed the front of the compartment and it disappeared back into the wall. "Jarvis, any change in energy readings?"

"Negative, sir. The reactors and the new device are having no discernible effect upon each other and none are detectible from outside of the holding area."

"Excellent. Now, Thor…shit, man. That's tough. I thought you were all about Jane?"

"I thought so as well. I suppose Loki taught me many lessons, one of which was unintentional. Through his love for Kara I see how deep such a feeling _should_ be. I realized that I could walk away from Jane and it would pain me little. I would miss her, certainly, but I would not give up my position for her, let alone my life. We both deserve a love that is deeper than that. And while I have time to find that love while enjoying a lesser attachment, she does not. I cannot waste the best years of her life when I am certain there is a more fitting love for her out there somewhere."

"Wow. That's a beautiful sentiment, buddy, and that's how you should tell her. But don't take my word for it…Jarvis, ask Pepper to come down here alone, and play this conversation for her while she's in the elevator."

"As you wish, Mr. Stark."

"Normally, I don't go playing conversations back like that, but seriously. Pepper needs to hear it so she understands. She's dealt with my shit for years. I think she's the genius about relationships and love and stuff."

"I bow to your knowledge of such." He followed Tony around as the man showed him the improvements he'd made to his suits using the Asgardian metal working technology. Thor felt that even Odin would be impressed. "Have you started on armor for the others?" he asked.

"Yeah, since Romanov and Barton were with you, I only got so far with their stuff. However, Steve's new and improved body armor is ready for testing." The grinning mortal hit a button and a tall door slid open to reveal armor in a familiar shade of blue.

"It does not look much different."

"No, and that's the cool part. It isn't any heavier or thicker, but it's nearly three times as strong. And this is without any magical enhancements. Odin gave me some drawings for runes to be etched into it and he said Loki could have his magic released long enough to…crap, what did he call it? Oh yeah, invoke them all once all of the armor was completed."

"Excellent indeed." He glanced at the clear panel that closed off the area when it opened to admit Pepper Potts.

"Tony, oh my God did…oh, Thor, you're still here."

"Where else would I be, my lady? We awaited you."

"I see. Um, well, I'm so sorry, Thor. You…" she broke off with a sigh. "What are you going to do?"

"I must tell her, somehow. I'd hoped for advice on how best to do so. I have no wish to hurt her."

"It's going to hurt anyway, but from what you told Tony, you realize that. Okay…this is one of the few times you're going to hear these words from my lips, so listen carefully. Tony is right."

"Hey!"

"Stop it, you know you're rarely right about anything to do with relationships. But he's right about this. You need to explain it to her just that way. Show her that you have her best interests at heart. It's still going to hurt and she may wonder why you don't just stick around anyway, but tell her you care too much to hurt her like that."

"That is the truth."

"Exactly. She needs to hear that from you. Meanwhile, I'll arrange a therapy…hmm, she doesn't like shopping. Oh, a spa day. I'll get a therapy spa day set up, complete with frosty beverages and cabana boys. An entire girls day out kind of thing."

"This will soothe the hurt?"

"No, calling you every dirty name in the book while she vents to the rest of the girls will soothe the hurt, mostly because we'll be agreeing with her."

"I wish to be honest with her and not hurt her, yet you agree I should be called vile names?"

"No. We will agree with her to encourage her to vent and get the anger out of her system. Then we'll point out your honesty and desire for her to find true happiness with someone who deserves her."

"Ah. I see. Very well. I shall tell her when she returns this afternoon."

"No, no, no, no, no. This afternoon you'll just stick with the group. Everyone will want to hear everything that happened while you were all away. Tomorrow morning you'll talk to her and then we ladies will scoop her up and drag her out to the spa to ply her with comfort and alcoholic goodness."

"One question, if I may?" Thor asked. Pepper nodded agreement. "What is a spa?"

… …

**Author's Notes:** Ah, the FEELS! More of them in this chapter. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and to my new followers, Welcome! I'm taking votes on whether Nat is carrying a boy or a girl.

My 1/6th scale Thor and Loki figures have arrived. Pictures can be found on my KieraPSI Tumblr account.

Just a note for those who have seen _IM3_ and the trailer for _Thor2 _and story synopsis for _CapAm2_: This story goes AU after the events of _The Avengers_. I am not going to retrofit the movie-verse changes into this story; that way lays insanity! If I enjoy any of the upcoming movies enough, perhaps I'll begin new stories jumping off them once this one is done. Of course, if all of you want to petition Marvel to scrap their current scripts and use this story instead, that would be cool. :wink:


	59. Chapter 59

**Author's Notes:** My apologies if you ship the Thor/Jane relationship. I've just never personally gotten it and the lack of chemistry (in my perception) between Chris and Natalie in the movie just sealed their doom as a couple in my eyes. But hey, he feels really bad about it! If you're the kind of reader that leaks from the eyes, get out a fresh box of tissues and hold on to them until you reach the end of the chapter, because, oh my goodness, the FEELS!

… …

"Okay, so let me make sure I've got this straight. Our resident emo doesn't have family issues anymore…"

"I have family issues, Tony, they are simply less bothersome," Loki interrupted.

"Do you even know what emo means?" he challenged.

"Yes, Darcy used the term in New Mexico and was kind enough to explain it. While I disagree that it applies to me, I can see your point in using it."

"Okay, then. Your half-brother is now King of Jötunheim, you're okay with Thor being crown prince in Asgard, you don't have any other brothers, half-brothers, adoptive brothers or whatever running around…"

"That any of us are aware of."

Tony bit the inside of his cheek. "Yeah, how about you let me finish summarizing and then you can criticize, clarify, or whatever the hell else you want."

"Sorry." Loki didn't sound the least bit sorry, and Tony was certain he saw a certain glint in those emerald eyes.

"Sure you are. Now…where was I?"

"Family issues are resolved and Prince Loki's half-brother reigns in Jötunheim, sir," Jarvis advised him.

"Right, thanks, J. Okay, so everything's copasetic everywhere else, but you may need to go back to Jötunheim in a few weeks and you _will _be going back for your brother's birthday in six months. Right?"

"Correct, more or less. And Dr. Banner will be traveling to Asgard in a few weeks or so to take part in the new treaty and trade negotiations with the Jötnar."

"Yeah…why? Bruce knows nothing about negotiating or about treaties or trade."

"I'm the big stick, Tony," Bruce told him.

"Huh?"

"The Æsir are not quite as tough, brute strength-wise, as the Jötnar. The height of the average Jötunn warrior also gives them a distinct advantage in battle. They literally look down on the Æsir for that reason even though the Æsir have ultimately defeated them in every war they've had. My other is as tall as a Jötunn, but is broader and stronger and they respect that. They got to see the Hulk take on two of their people hell-bent on killing him and, well, let's just say they were far less durable than Loki."

"They are a good bit less durable, as you call it, than most Æsir, full or part, but you weren't trying to kill me, just subdue me and I thank the Norns, as much as that galls, for that small favor."

"Okay, so you'll be there because they respect your other's prowess as a fighter, right?"

"Exactly, Tony; and I'm a third party. Since my other has beaten on Æsir and Jötnar alike, and I am a friend of both Loki's and Thor's, both sides are more likely to listen to me even if I simply repeat the same thing one of them has just said."

"We just fall further down the damn rabbit hole each and every day, don't we?" He turned to point at Loki when the god opened his mouth. "That was rhetorical, Lokes. No answer wanted." His honorary brother-in-law smirked and shrugged. "Okay. So we also have to get our backsides in gear because we are expecting a return visit at some time in the relatively near future from the Chitauri and this time you guys think their big boss will come with them, right?"

Silence reigned for a moment before Loki smirked at him again. "I'm sorry, were you expecting an answer this time?"

"Loki! Knock it off and be serious, please?" Kara asked him.

"I find levity is the best way to deal with mind-numbing fear." Tony blinked. Had Rock of Ages just admitted he was scared shitless? "Yes, Tony," Loki continued as though he'd spoken aloud. "Only a fool wouldn't be frightened by the prospect of facing the Mad Titan. And if you've faced him before, that fear is trebled, at least."

Shit, fuck, and fuck again. Those green eyes were positively haunted. "Honestly, I don't know how you're as sane as you are." He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay then, you and I need to work on early warning systems and defense. Bruce will help us while he's here, so that's a priority. Thor, I think Haakun has some kind of good will tour planned for you, Nyvorlas and Sif."

"And Loki and Kara as well," Haakun reminded him.

"Yeah, um, this impending invasion takes precedence. Loki's the only one with direct experience; we'll need him working on that. How about you pick just a few specific events that they need to be at and have only the other three at the rest and I can fly them out for those events?"

"Kara can join us…"

"No. Kara stays with me." Loki sounded determined to make that one stick.

"We can spin it," Pepper told Odin's representative. "Use the romance angle to explain their absence from most of the trip."

"That might work."

"Of course it will," Tony said, clapping his hands enthusiastically. "Yep, that's a plan. Okay, anything else we missed?"

Loki frowned. "I don't think so."

… …

Clint exchanged glances with Natasha. She nodded all but imperceptibly. "Well, there's one more thing." He waited until all eyes turned to them. "Natasha is having our baby. She's due in about eight months."

Everyone who had remained behind on Earth stared at them in total shock. Finally, Stark shook his head. "Jarvis, who won the pool?" he asked the AI.

"You started a pool on when I would get pregnant?" Natasha asked in a deadly voice.

"Nooo, we had a pool going on who would be the first to get pregnant."

"Marginally better," she grumped.

"The winner, Mr. Stark, is Director Fury."

"That…" Clint trailed off, not really having words just now to express his annoyance.

"Despite having one usable eye, he's not blind, Hawk," Natasha said wryly.

"Yeah, but I thought we were more discrete than that."

"He did have the advantage of knowing we would likely not think about contraception after all those years of having it routinely handled for us."

He pursed his lips, thinking about it. "Shit."

"Any idea what you're having yet?" Pepper asked with a tiny smile.

"A baby."

Loki snorted. "Funny, Barton. Was it intentional or did you not understand that the lady wished to know the baby's gender?"

"Oh, right." He frowned and shook his head. How freaking embarrassing. "Uh, we're having a girl. Lady Eir confirmed it and said she's as healthy as can be and then some."

"Why 'and then some'? Beth asked.

"While it was nowhere near the level of what was done to Captain Rogers, I was also physically enhanced a bit as a child," Natasha explained. "Apparently that enhancement was at the genetic level."

"Oh, wow. I guess I'd better update your medical file then. And review gynecology practices."

Pepper held up a hand before they could ask Beth what she was talking about. "Beth will be Dr. Anderson by this spring and has agreed to be the Avengers' personal physician. So, please, give her any and all information you can so she's able to help you when you need it. She's going to do her internship at NYP's trauma center when she isn't needed here."

"Nice," Clint approved. "We were wondering what to do about a doc. Not saying Banner doesn't do a good job when necessary, but having a pure M.D. around never hurts." He grinned and looked around at the group to see if they were all relaxed before dropping the other shoe. "Loki and Kara are going to be the baby's godparents."

"Clint…" Loki warned as the group exploded in surprise. "We've discussed how that would be a problem."

"_Could _be, not would be. Pepper will get legal working on it, won't you, Pepper?"

"Certainly, but what could or would the problem be?"

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned at her. "Hmm, well, firstly, I'm still considered a war criminal here. Secondly, I am not a citizen of this country, let alone this realm, and…"

"Hold up, doubting Thomas, you've missed a few things too. Haakun has been really busy these past two weeks," Stark told them.

"And what has he been doing that has a bearing on this?"

Haakun sat up and leaned forward from the comfortable chair he'd been lounging in. "I have secured pardons from the governments of the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany for your actions in relation to the invasion. There were no charges for the Puente Antiguo incident as S.H.I.E.L.D. had explained away that event with a tale about a scientific robotics experiment gone wrong or some such nonsense. Of course, it helps that no one saw you there other than Prince Thor."

Loki looked stunned, Thor was grinning ear to ear, and Kara's eyes were wet. "So, that only leaves the citizen thing." Clint offered. "I'm sure there's a way around that."

"Yeah, we'll worry about that later," Tony said. "So, anything else?" The genius waited but no one said a word. "Cool beans. We're all going out to dinner to celebrate. And sorry, it's another fancy place so there will be food grumping and I don't want to hear it. Direct your complaints about the venue or the menu to Pepper. Uh, sorry, Pep, but you did choose it."

"I did and it's okay." She smiled sweetly and Clint knew that complaining to her would be as foolish as trying to put something over on the Black Widow. Oh, hell no. "Our reservations are for eight this evening at the NoMad, we'll be leaving at seven; formal dress, please. For those of you from off-realm, that means something like you wore to the wedding feast if you have it with you; our citizens, black tie and evening gowns."

"Kara will be wearing Asgardian dress," Loki informed them.

"Oh will I?"

The god frowned and looked at his wife. "Kara, I'd appreciate it if you wore Asgardian dress."

"Not quite a request, but close enough. Was that really so difficult?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Loki groused.

Kara smirked and leaned in against him. "If you get in the habit of it, it will get a lot easier." He shook his head and frowned at everyone who laughed.

"Wait a minute," Clint said, deciding to grab the attention before Loki got pissed. "I have to wear black tie? Aw, man, that sucks. There's no good way to carry my quiver with one of those monkey suits on."

… …

Jane frowned as Thor disappeared yet again. Was he avoiding her or was it just her overactive imagination? She sighed and flopped down in the armchair Haakun had recently vacated. "What's up, Jane?" Darcy asked her.

"I wish I knew." She stared up at the younger woman. "Did it seem to you like Thor was avoiding me?"

Darcy frowned and sat down across from her. "Now that you mention it, um, yeah, kind of."

"He's going to dump me, isn't he? We haven't even had a real date, but I'm about to get dumped."

"Jane, just relax and breathe, okay?"

"I need a drink."

"What? No, you really don't need a…"

Her friend broke off as a wine glass was moved in front of Jane's face. Jane looked up and took it and smiled wanly at Pepper. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver." She took a sip of the light fruity wine and leaned back in her chair. "I'm not sure what I'm so torn up about. It's not like we really even have a relationship."

"You wanted one," Pepper said gently as she handed Darcy a glass and then sat on the sofa and sipped her own wine.

Jane looked around the room. Beth was heading over to the sofa with Natasha. The redhead was carrying a bottle of water instead of a wineglass. Of the women, only Kara was missing and with the annoyance Loki had been showing at the end of the meeting, that wasn't surprising. "So, is this an intervention, or what?"

"I asked Thor to hold off on talking to you," Pepper began. "He's really torn up about this and he hates that he might be responsible for hurting you, but he couldn't let you continue to have false hopes for something more with him."

"You mean he doesn't have the balls to face me."

"No, that's absolutely not true," Natasha told her. "He wanted to take you aside first thing, but Pepper asked him to hold off until tomorrow. We were discussing maybe a spa day afterwards when we realized that it would be better if we talked to you now so you weren't left hanging. You're a bright woman, you were bound to notice."

"So why not just let him tell me today?"

"Thor asked Tony for advice on how to tell you. He didn't want to blurt it out and just make it worse." Pepper said. "He isn't the world's best at communication; not on his world or ours and he recognizes that."

"He asked Tony? Oh, wow, that's rich. Um, no pun intended."

Pepper smiled. "Tony knew to call me. Jane…"

"No, you know, it's okay. I-I was probably reading more into the chivalry and gallantry and all of that stuff than was really there. After all, I'm the one that kissed him, right? He didn't make a move on me. Jesus, I am such an idiot."

"You are not an idiot, Jane," Pepper scolded. "You are a strong, intelligent woman. You saw a man worth having and let him know you were seriously interested in him. He likes you and he appreciates you, and because he _is _worth having he knew it wouldn't be fair to you to string you along with a casual relationship when he realized he didn't feel as deeply for you as you deserve."

She drained her glass and stood then promptly sat back down again as a wave of dizziness hit her. "Damn it. I just swallowed the stuff it shouldn't be hitting me that fast."

"It's the stress, Jane," Beth told her. "Not the alcohol."

"Okay, whatever. Pepper, scratch me from the dinner reservations. I really can't be there. Whether everyone else thinks I'm an idiot or not, I feel like one and I won't be able to handle it without breaking down."

"Understood. Are you up for a girl's day out at the spa tomorrow?"

"Can I get wasted there?"

"If you want, sure."

"Sounds like a plan."

… …

Kara stared at the blank wall where her door used to be. "Jarvis, what happened to my suite?"

"Anthony felt…"

"Jarvis, call him Mr. Stark, please. Even I'm getting creeped out by you calling him Anthony."

"Yes, your highness. Mr. Stark felt that since the two of you would be living here long term, you should have a larger living space. Your suite, Dr. Banner's suite and the guest room at the end of this hall have been combined into one apartment. Dr. Banner's former entry is now the main entrance and he has been moved to a different floor."

"I see. Thank you, Jarvis." She turned and headed down the hall, surprised Loki hadn't commented on her resetting Jarvis again. The door was now a double door. Fancy, but why? "Uh, Jarvis, why the double door?"

"It made moving building materials and the larger pieces of furniture less difficult, princess."

"Oh." She stared at knob which had no key, shrugged and twisted it. It didn't open. "Jarvis?"

"My apologies, your highness. The lock has been voice coded to both you and Prince Loki and is semi-independent of my network. I can access it remotely for you, or if I am disabled in any way, you may each simply say your first name and the lock will open for you."

"Loki," Loki said from behind her and the door clicked open. He shook his head. "What is to prevent someone from using a recording of our voices?"

"The system also scans the individual at the door. If the scan results are not consistent with the name spoken, the door will not open."

"What if the power goes out?" Kara wanted to know.

"The scanning and locking system has an independent uninterruptible power source as backup."

There was no sign of a scanner on the walls or imbedded in the door so they both looked up at the ceiling where a small aperture now resided. "Sounds good to me," she decided and pushed open the door to their new home. "Um, Loki? Is it just me, or does this look a lot like your chambers in Asgard?"

He set their bags down and laid his hands on her shoulders as he looked around. "As much as it could with the difference in size and shape of the space, yes." He squeezed gently. "They're _our _chambers."

"I know, and so are these." She turned around and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do you like it?"

"Yes. They really want me to feel welcome and at home here, don't they?"

"Of course. Once you let the real Loki come out and play, everyone liked you." She swatted his shoulder playfully. "You're a fun and likable kind of guy."

"Hmm. Then why did no one seem to like me in Asgard?"

"Don't start. Thor liked you. Volstagg liked you. I think Fandral was jealous as all hell of you. Sif, I think, was so busy mooning over Thor that she didn't really notice you until you messed up her hair." She chuckled as he winced. "And I don't think Hogun _likes_ anyone. He just kind of gets along with them or avoids them like the plague. Did he ever go out of his way to avoid you?"

"No, no he did not."

"There, you see? You just assumed because they weren't fawning all over you like they did with Thor that they all disliked you."

"I suppose that's possible. But your-our friends just…_like _me."

"Yeah, hon, they do. Welcome home, Loki."

… …

"Jane," Thor said, detaching himself from the wall outside of her lab.

She frowned at him and nodded. "Thor."

"I-we need to talk."

"Actually, no, we don't. The girls did your dirty work for you." He winced and his chin dropped to his chest. She sighed and activated the lab's door panel thinking that she really hadn't had enough wine to deal with this. "Come on in, let's talk about it."

He followed her in like a lost puppy. "I wanted to speak to you myself, but I was told that would hurt you worse as I am not good with words." She didn't have an answer for that, so sat down on the stool in front of her worktable. "I am sorry, Jane. I know my actions led you to believe that my feelings for you were strong. You are an amazing woman, but…"

"You don't love me."

"Not as you should be loved. Not in the manner that a husband should love his wife. I-I thought perhaps I might love you, but then discovered that I loved my family more. A man should love his woman more than he loves his family. A king should love his queen more than he loves his people. I realized that I did not love you the way my father loves Frigga or the way Loki loves Kara. You deserve that kind of love and I am not able to give it to you. I am sorry."

"Oh, Thor. I'm sorry, too. I presumed a lot, I know, so it's not all your fault. It's okay, really. I understand. I'm not going to lie to you, it hurts like hell, but I do understand."

"Can we remain friends?" he asked.

She frowned at him. "Did no one warn you not to ask to be my friend at a time like this?"

"No, is that a bad thing?"

"Yeah, it's a really bad thing. You were doing great until you said that. No, Thor, I can't be your friend, not right now. I'm hurt and I feel stupid about the whole thing and I'm not going to be able to just suck it up and be your _friend_. So…just go, all right? I need to not look at you for a while."

He looked like he'd been kicked. Good. That was the way she felt. 'Be his friend' my ass, she thought. "I will honor your request. The big lug hesitated as the door panel slid open. "I am truly sorry, Jane."

"I know." The door closed behind him and she leaned her arms on the table, put her head down on them and began to cry.

… …

"Prince Loki? Prince Thor requests entrance."

Loki frowned as he came out of the walk-in closet. Their outer clothing and armor was hung up. Kara was in the bedchamber folding their small clothes and putting them in drawers. "Grant him entry, Jarvis."

The door clicked and soon opened. Thor came in, his head hanging like the beaten cur he'd often compared him too. "Brother," he said, sounding miserable.

"Oh, for…what did you do?"

"I spoke to Jane."

He told himself to have patience, but that was a lost cause. "Were you not told to avoid speaking with her?"

"Yes, but that wasn't honorable. I had to tell her myself."

Sighing he gestured to the chairs in the living area. "Sit down. How were we raised by the same parents? You have no common sense whatsoever."

"You were always the brighter of us, Loki. Everyone knows that. But I was doing well, at first. We were talking and I feel she truly understood it was for the best."

"Until you managed to ruin it in some way."

"Please tell me you didn't ask her to be your friend," Kara said as she bustled out of the bedchamber carrying the toiletries they'd brought from Asgard. Thor's head drooped even lower. "Oh for heaven's sake, Thor; why didn't you just punch her in her stomach?" She stormed on into the bathing chamber, muttering under her breath. "Loki," she called out. "You were right all along. Your brother _is _an idiot."

Loki did his best to hide his amusement but failed miserably if Thor's glare was anything to judge by. "I'm not laughing at you, well, not really. I'm amused because I've been vindicated yet again."

"I want to be her friend, Loki. I don't understand."

"You told her she wasn't good enough to love, just good enough to keep company with. That's quite an insult, brother."

"That was not my intent!"

"I know that, and at some level I'm certain Lady Jane does as well. But she is pained right now and dealing with rejection. That is how she would take it at such a time," he explained patiently.

Thor sighed and covered his face with his large hands. "I was cruel to her all unknowing," he muttered.

"Yes, you were. Keep your distance from her, brother." He used the familial term again, knowing it would lift Thor's spirits. "Eventually she will get over her hurt and might then forgive you. It's possible that one day you might be able to be friends. For now, give her the distance from you she needs." Thor nodded and stood. "Oh, and by all you hold sacred, Thor, do not woo anyone in her presence. That would be rubbing salt in the wound. It's doubtful you will find your one love so soon, but if you do, be discreet."

"I will try, Loki." Thor headed to the door. "Brother?"

"Yes, Thor?" The great oaf just stood there looking lost. Loki sighed, walked over and held out his arms to him and suffered having his ribs all but cracked by Thor's embrace. He tolerated it because Thor was shaking. This whole situation had affected him deeply. "She'll heal, brother," Loki assured him. "Her friends will help her and eventually she'll move on and find someone who will love her as she deserves to be loved. You did the right thing."

"Thank you, Loki. I-it means much to hear you say so."

… …

Pepper directed their outing with the skill of a symphony maestro. The limos deposited them outside of the NoMad Hotel and the Avengers and their now famous guests from Asgard and Ljósálfheim walked a literal red carpet into the building. The paparazzi had been alerted for this junket and one of the network news stations had sent a crew to watch them enter the boutique hotel and its popular restaurant. Handheld cameras clicked and video cameras tracked the group as the turn of the century Beaux-Arts building drew admiring stares from their off-realm guests. Captain America and Ambassador Haakun – the new title courtesy of a writ brought from Asgard by Thor, stopped to speak to the press, giving prepared statements and answering a limited number of questions. The others smiled and waved at the gathered members of the press and ignored the pleas for comments as they were escorted inside. "Well, wasn't running the gamut out there an interesting experience?" Loki said quietly from her right once they were finally all seated. "Will it be like that wherever we go?"

"For a while, yes. Once interest drops off you'll be able to move about more anonymously."

"I don't like them being told that I was controlled by the Titan. That is not truly…"

"That's what they'll best understand. They are being told you fought that control and are the reason the invasion failed. If it hadn't been for your lovely speech in Stuttgart, we wouldn't have had to use the term 'control' at all," she told him, trying to keep any censure from her voice.

"Hmm, that _was_ fun." He looked at her when she gasped. "The speech, dear lady, not the rest of it; the drama of my monologue was…exhilarating."

"And that is why you are not taking questions from the press yet. You cannot say things like that and hope to be accepted."

"You need to be accepted, Loki," Kara told him before he could retort, much to Pepper's relief. "We're here for the next century and some, we'll want to be able to do things other than sit around the tower and wait for our help to be needed."

"Spoilsport," he groused, but a grin played at the corners of his lips. He really was a rogue, Pepper thought, an involuntary smile emerging. But at least he was a charming one.

… …

Haakun watched Thor worriedly. Odin's eldest son was picking at the dish of suckling pig he'd ordered. It wasn't at all like him. The young god generally inhaled the food offered him and then asked for more. The ending of his attachment to the mortal woman had affected him strongly. Thor was also uncharacteristically quiet. Loki was working hard to draw his brother into conversation, but even his silver tongue was failing at the task. Haakun decided that he had best give it a try. "Thor, how is your father faring with the council over a new treaty with Jötunheim?" he asked.

"Fine."

Loki looked at him and shook his head minutely, also quite obviously concerned. "Has he contacted the other Realms to have them send representation to the talks?" Haakun persisted.

The prince blinked several times and then stared at him. "Of course."

Two words. This was so disheartening. "We'll be attending what Stark Industries' public relations specialist called a 'meet and greet' at the United Nations tomorrow evening. You need to be prepared to represent Asgard properly. Can I count on you?"

Thor looked up sharply and squared his shoulders. "Indeed, Ambassador. I will be ready."

"My brother is always ready for everything…so long as there is food or fighting involved," Loki commented lightly.

"Now that is not true, brother. I am also quite ready for everything when gaming is involved."

Loki laughed aloud at Thor's response. Even Lady Sif grinned. "I remember one game you were not ready for, Thor," she said. "Do you recall what happened the day you were supposed to race Loki from the gates of Asgard to Fensalir?"

Thor flushed and frowned at Loki. "Yes, _someone _got me too well drunk the night before," he growled.

"Don't glare at me, brother. I was in my bed, reading until I fell asleep. Fandral said that you were showing off for those two ladies you had your eye on, insisting you could out drink Volstagg. No one can out drink Volstagg, as you should have remembered."

"Perhaps it was so, I do not recall."

"I hope you recall how sick you were the next morn. Mother was quite put out over the mess you made when you finally arrived at her gates. And I was forced to groom your stallion, you were far too ill to stand after the ride, let alone care for him. I don't think he was any happier about that than I."

"Humph."

"Give it up, Thor," Sif said. "Even I noticed you drinking to excess that evening. Hogun did warn you, but you brushed him off."

Thor sighed. "Now that I do remember; I think perhaps I drank more because our grim friend told me that I could not continue to drink and still win my race on the morrow. I was determined to prove him wrong."

"Good times," Loki mused.

He glowered briefly but then Thor began to smile. "Yes, brother, they were. And we shall have good times again, starting with this meal here with our friends."

Haakun nodded in satisfaction. Thor's unaccustomed spate of brooding was broken. All would be well. "How is the suckling pig, my prince?" he asked.

… …

Stark was grinning like a loon, Loki decided. They'd all arrived back at Avengers' Tower and the man had blocked Kara as she tried to get out of the vehicle. "Not so fast, Kara. Your evening isn't done yet. Have a nice ride." Stark closed the door in his startled lady's face and tapped the top of the limo. The driver pulled away with them inside, following his previously delivered instructions.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, finally becoming suspicious.

"Just for a ride…and perhaps a bit of a stroll." It was amazing, Loki thought, that she hadn't realized much earlier that something was going on. Stark had come for him shortly after Thor had returned to his own suite, using the excuse of having Loki look over the existing security and defense protocols. He had, in truth, reviewed them while on their way to 5th Avenue and 57th Street, but that was far from the purpose of their outing.

The driver pulled up in front of Central Park and held the door for them. "I'll wait for you here, your highness."

"Thank you."

He escorted Kara into the park, nodding to the park police officers who stood by to prevent any of the press from trailing behind them. This was to be a private moment, though if it had the result he hoped, the press would be advised of it upon their return to the limo. They soon emerged in a clearing, one that he was far too familiar with. He'd left for Asgard chained and muzzled from here and returned to Midgard at the same spot a broken, bleeding mess. It was time to give the place a positive memory…he hoped. Kara was a most unpredictable woman. She was staring at the ground near the middle of the clearing. "It's been two months, or near enough, and the energy is still so…desperate, so hopeless here," she whispered.

Loki was no empath, but he felt a shudder run through her when they reached one spot in the clearing. "Let's change that energy then, shall we?" She stared as he dropped to one knee. "Kara, my beautiful lady; you were given no true choice but to marry me according to the laws of Asgard. Here, on Midgard, you do have a choice and I would give that to you. Will you take me as your husband, according to the laws of this land, so that I might show to everyone how very much I love and honor you?"

Her jaw dropped for a moment and then she smiled…a lovely joyful smile that made his heart sing. "Oh, Loki…that's…yes, absolutely."

He pulled the ring from the small box labeled 'Tiffany's' and slid it on her finger. "I hope you do not mind my choosing for you. Pepper tells me that it can be done either way, but…"

The fingers of her right hand brushed his lips. "It's perfect; it goes with the bracelets, I love it." She admired the dark green stone set in an eighteen karat gold setting. "Emeralds are beautiful in yellow gold, and so very you," she said.

"Emeralds? I suppose so. These are diamonds, love. Stark assured me that diamonds were the preferred stones for engagement and wedding rings."

"I didn't even know they came in green, wow." She stared at the ring for a moment more and then looked into his eyes. "Are we going to do a wedding and everything too?"

"Yes, my love; all of it. I want you to enjoy every tradition, every right and every privilege accorded to brides of this realm."

The dazzling smile emerged again, but this time tears swam in her amazing eyes. "Thank you, you know this means the world to me."

"Yes, Kara. I can't give you the world itself, and I know you don't want it. But this, this I can give you and I am glad to do so."

Her arms slipped around his neck and he lifted her up against his chest as he stood, kissing her thoroughly in the process. "I love you so very much, Loki. I can't even begin to explain how much."

"You are everything to me, Kara. Without you, I would have died at this very spot. If you had saved me, but had not loved me, I would be rotting in a cell in Asgard. If you had loved me but not trusted me, Thor and I would have died when the Chitauri and their masters invaded Asgard. If you had not accepted Odin's terms for my sentencing, I would have died on Jötunheim. I would not exist but for you. More importantly, but for you I would not want to. You are my one love and there will never be another who means so much to me."

"Hmm," she breathed after they shared another deep kiss. "You really do have a silver tongue."

"In more ways than one, my love."


	60. Chapter 60

**Author's Notes:** Okay, loyal readers, in a future chapter Natasha and Clint will be debating names for their baby girl to be. My PM box is open for your suggestions! I need silly choices as well as serious ones, please!

… …

"Why was Darcy Lewis in the middle of those reporters?" Kara asked their driver, a pugnacious looking chap that Stark had incongruously addressed as 'Happy'.

"I think she was getting pictures for your FacePage and Chatter accounts, ma'am."

"My what?"

"Well, Prince Loki's really. They're good ones, lots of fans commenting all the time."

"Oh my God."

Loki stared at her, a bit bemused. "Yes, I am, but what is a FacePage and Chatter account?"

"Not...never mind, you know I didn't mean you. They're social media. Places where you post photographs, comments, videos and such that you want to share with whoever is interested in looking at it. Lots of celebrities use them as marketing tools. Oh. Well, of course they set them up for you. I'd better look at them before you do."

"And why is that, love?"

"I don't want you storming off and getting in anyone's face over it if you don't like it."

"I never storm, that's Thor's thing." He grinned at her censoring glare. "I will promise not to get bent out of shape over anything I see, as I believe the phrase goes. But why me? Why not Thor or Tony, or even Steve?"

"They've got one for Mr. Stark and for Captain America too, sir," Happy told them.

"But not my brother. Curious."

The driver shrugged. "The people already see him as a hero, sir. No offense."

"None taken; I am no hero and never will be."

"Well, they're settin' you up as what book writers call an anti-hero, that's kind of a romantic figure that has problems and surpasses 'em and is admired even more because of it." The man grinned at the mirror. "The anti-hero is usually the guy that ends up getting the girl, and you sure did that."

Loki had to chuckle. "I certainly did."

… …

"Holy crap," Kara muttered as she scrolled through the images on the holographic display Stark had installed in the 'office' section of their new living quarters.

"That bad?" her husband/fiancé asked as he unbuckled more of the decorative pieces of his armor that he'd worn to dinner. They did make him look even more sexily dangerous than normal, but without his magic, they were a pain in the butt to put on and take off.

"No, actually…it's just these people, wow. Somewhere, somehow these women need to know you're not available and that if they make a move on you anyway that I will hurt them."

"My lovely lady is possessive, hmm? I think I like that."

"You would…oh, this is good. They've got a picture of us in New Mexico. You were trying to convince me of something and were down on a knee ever so earnestly pleading your case. It looks so romantic, but if I recall correctly, you were just trying to get me to agree to not reset Jarvis again the next time Tony used a snarky nickname."

Loki leaned over shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. "Speaking of which, you reset it again."

"I did. I wasn't kidding, it's getting really creepy. You're very imaginative, so could you just cancel that part of the programming and find something else to use to retaliate? This 'Anthony' thing is getting old."

"You might like my other choices even less."

"Then just let it go. It doesn't bother the rest of us, and if he does use one that is over the line, we're all adults and are fully capable of calling him on it for ourselves."

"Very well, I'll change the programming and unless he uses something egregiously offensive I'll let it go."

"Thank you." She tilted her head up and kissed him briefly before standing to finish fastening her jeans. "I need to go talk to Jane," she told him as she headed for the door.

"Why?"

Kara sighed and frowned at him. "Loki, your brother just dumped her. You married me in Asgard and proposed to me on Midgard. There's going to be wedding preparations and all of that going on in the Tower. How do you think that's going to make Jane feel?"

"It will intensify her hurt, I imagine."

"Yes, and who is she going to subconsciously blame?"

"Ah. You."

"Exactly. So I'm going to try and nip that in the bud before it starts. I've only spoken to the woman a few times, and we didn't really connect, but I don't want her to hate me when I don't deserve it. I also don't want her hurting worse than she does already."

"Understood, darling. Go chat with the mortal, I'll finish getting this all put away." He groaned and glowered at the various pieces of armor. "How much longer is it until I may have my magic back permanently?"

"Forty thousand, one hundred and fifty-one days and ten hours."

"I begin to see the attraction of Midgardian clothing," he grumbled.

… …

Jane dragged herself out of her bed to go answer the door. For some reason Jarvis had not announced the visitor that had knocked the old fashioned way. "Please, God, don't let it be Thor again," she groused. "I am such an idiot. Jarvis, who is at the door?"

"Your visitor has requested anonymity, Dr. Foster," the AI told her.

"That much I figured. I'm not going to answer the door unless I know who's there."

She waited a moment while Jarvis consulted with the visitor. "Princess Kara wishes to speak with you, doctor."

"I do not need this shit." Jane pulled the door open and stared at the woman with the multi-shaded red hair. Her expression was serious. "I guess you want to come in," she said tiredly and gestured her in and over to the small table and chairs by the window.

"Thank you," Kara offered. "I'm sorry for intruding on your privacy, but we need to talk before things get moving tomorrow."

"What things and why would I want to talk to you about anything? You've got your happily ever after."

"I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I'd appreciate you not blaming me for someone else's mistakes. You're hurting, Jane, but that doesn't give you the right to lash out at people who had nothing to do with that hurt."

"Didn't you? Thor was all over how seeing the way his brother loves you made him think he didn't love me enough."

"And how is that my fault? I'm to blame because I exist?"

"Because you were good enough for a god and I'm not. What makes you all that?"

The other woman closed her damn spooky eyes and sighed heavily. "Do you honestly want to be me? Do you _really_ want to go through all of the absolute shit I've gone through in my life? I don't have a happily ever after, I have a finally kind of happy at the moment. But if I did have a happily ever after, I would have damned well earned it."

"Sure you did."

"You don't know anything about me, do you?" Jane didn't bother to answer. "Great. I've spent the last fifteen years having people just use me without seeing me as a person. Let me tell you why I deserve to be happy, why Loki and I deserve to be happy together."

"Do I really have a choice?"

"No, no you don't. So get comfortable, it's a doozy of list." Jane rolled her eyes. Kara shook her head. "Please don't piss me off. I'm a lot more deadly than Bruce when I'm angry."

"Is that a threat?"

Kara sighed. "No, just listen to me, please." Jane shrugged. "First, did you know I was raped by three men and left for dead when I was thirteen? No, didn't think so. That's when my pyrokinetic abilities emerged and I accidentally combusted my rapists. Then my parents handed me over to a lab for experimentation and they used drug cocktails on me to mess with my nervous system, that's what caused my projective empathy. The doctors used one too many on me, and it was so excruciatingly painful that I couldn't _not_ project the pain of it. They're dead too. Then I got lucky. I was fostered to a nice couple that helped me get my act together and get my degrees. Everything was fine until a bad spate of wildfires in California one year. My foster father had been a firefighter and after a few CDF firefighters died, I started stepping in to help contain the wildfires. That got S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention and Fury blackmailed me into joining them."

"He blackmailed you too? Wow, that son of a bitch. His people took all my equipment and research after Thor came here nearly two years ago so I was forced to contract with them if I ever wanted to get my doctorate."

"Yeah, he's for the greater good, but his methods suck. They were afraid of what I could do, so they used the containment system Tony and Bruce had designed to use on Loki around me for a while. I'm not a god, so it did permanent and escalating damage to my nervous system. I was dying and didn't even know it at first."

"That's…irresponsible to say the least."

"So, then Loki entered the pictured, all but dead. I managed to save him. Then he was attracted to me but was convinced I was using my projective empathy to make him feel something he didn't. I was already falling for him, so that hurt like hell."

"Asgard must be full of idiots."

"Sometimes I think so. Their dad pisses me off on a regular basis. Raj convinced him otherwise and Loki decided to apologize and was shocked to discover he really did have feelings for me. So we got together. Then, of course, Thor came to take Loki back to Asgard. By this time I was so crazy in love with him it wasn't even funny. I also knew I was dying, and I was certain I'd never see him again. It was game over for me."

Jane impatiently rubbed her eyes. She was not going to cry over this woman's experiences. That was just stupid. She listened quietly as Kara continued detailing the absolute hell she and Loki had gone through. Despite her best intentions, she was mopping up tears of commiseration when Kara finally trailed off after explaining that Loki had asked her to marry him according to their customs so that she could have a real Earth-style wedding and all of the celebrations that went with it. The ring was gorgeous. Jane sighed. "Was it worth it?" she finally asked.

"It's always been worth it; Loki and I belong together. I don't think anyone but him could have reached me and I don't think anyone but me could have understood him. We complete each other, it's weird and that all sounds pretentious, but it's true."

"I would have bailed, I think. At the very least, I would have given up at some point." Kara nodded at her comment and Jane flinched. "Oh my God; I don't love Thor enough any more than he loves me enough."

"Kind of puts it into perspective, huh?" Kara asked.

"You can say that again. Geez, Kara. It still hurts but…If I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that I couldn't have done all of that for him."

"And visa versa. That's why he broke up with you. You both deserve someone who loves you enough to go through whatever it takes to be with you." Jane nodded miserably. "Are you going to be okay with all of the wedding hoopla going on in the Tower, or should I ask Tony to make arrangements for you to live in one of his other properties until it's over?"

She sat and thought about it for a bit while Kara waited patiently. "I'll stay. I can't promise I'll participate in everything, but I won't be a wet blanket. If I'm feeling bad, I'll just take off." She shrugged. "I'm not exactly big on socializing anyway; I'm more of a hang in my lab or out in the field doing research kind of person."

"Not a problem. You're invited to everything, you'll get official invitations. If you're not up to it, just decline, or don't show if you change your mind. We'll understand and we won't push you on it."

"That's fair." They stood and Jane escorted Kara to her door. "Thanks for being so patient with me. I'd like to think I could have done the same for you, but somehow I doubt it."

"I'm an empath, Jane, and a very powerful one. I know exactly how bad you feel, that gives me the patience. I wouldn't have it otherwise, I promise."

She had to laugh at that. "Okay, okay. Hey, thanks. I guess it doesn't get any easier having to talk about all of that."

"No, it doesn't. But sometimes it's worth it. We all think you're worth it."

… …

Darcy found herself giggling. It was kind of whacked out, she wasn't a giggler, but Jane's expression of bliss as she was massaged and oiled by a pair of hunky masseuses was just hysterical. She got the bliss, all right. The foot massage, or reflexology as the guy doing it called it, was equally heavenly. Even though he was just touching her feet she could swear she felt pressure all over her body. Nice. Taking a deep slurp of her margarita she glanced over to where Kara was being massaged by a strong looking woman. She'd told the masseuse to go heavy on the pressure and the woman was giving it her all, but Kara was pretty much falling asleep. "Hey, Kara, wake up. Your 'rita is melting," Darcy teased.

The funky eyes shifted colors and patterns as they focused on her. "It's relaxing," Kara told her. Darcy stifled another giggle as the masseuse's jaw dropped. With all the effort she was expending it must have been a shock to have it described as 'relaxing'. Kara looked back over her shoulder at the woman. "Sorry, but it is. My tissue, muscle and bone density is a lot more than a normal person's. That's why I asked for heavy pressure. You're doing great, thank you."

Pepper's head turned slightly so as not to dislodge the cucumber slices that covered her eyes. Her body was wrapped from neck to toe in herbal infused linen. "Maybe we should have requested a male masseuse for you?"

"Please. Can you imagine Loki's reaction to that if he heard about it? I love the man, but he has issues."

"How about a gay male masseuse who couldn't possibly be interested in you?" Darcy had to suggest.

"Hmm, that _might _work."

"Doubtful," Natasha interjected. The former assassin was enjoying a sugar scrub. In this private venue, no wraps were required and Darcy had a clear view of the woman's stunning physique. Every muscle was sculpted, yet her hips had a great curve and her breasts were fairly full, not to mention perky as all hell. She looked down at her own rack. Yeah, the redhead didn't have nearly her quantity of boob-flesh, but it was all quality.

She looked over at the lone true blonde in the group. "Hey Beth, wake up!"

Blue eyes blinked sleepily, then turned in Darcy's direction. "Oh, wow, Darce. I was in the middle of a great dream."

"Really? Did Steve do you in it?" She grinned as Beth's eyes widened. "Oh, geez, I was just teasing and I nailed it. Damn I'm good. Was he any good?"

Beth's blush was hysterical. "I don't ask you if Bruce is good," their doctor to be finally muttered.

"Bruce isn't good, he's grrrreat!" Darcy crowed. "And surprisingly cuddly. You know, he's really the best boyfriend I've ever had. Do you think maybe he could fall in love with someone like me?" She bit her lip, hating the plaintive tone that had crept into the question. Darcy Lewis didn't do plaintive. She'd rather taser someone's ass than be all sappy and moon over some guy. But Bruce…aw, shit. "Never mind, stupid question."

"A very stupid question," Kara agreed. "He thinks you're amazing and can't believe you're even giving a fuddy-duddy like him the time of day let alone the key to the candy store."

A silly grin crept across her face. "Really? You're not just saying that to make me feel better, right?"

"Do you see the way Steve looks at Beth when he thinks no one is looking?"

"Um, yeah. He's so Captain Obvious that he's bonkers over her."

"Bruce uses that expression on you…but there's a little more wonder in his eyes, probably because of his issues."

"Wow. He never says anything like he sees me as something serious."

Natasha snorted softly. "He doesn't believe he can have something serious. If you want it, you'll have to tell him.

"I think you should go for it, Darcy," Jane said as she turned over to have her front worked on. "I know my track record is kind of damning, but I'm still going to go with the nothing ventured, nothing gained approach. Otherwise you could miss out on the right thing when it comes."

"Damning, my ass," Darcy retorted. "So you fell on your butt once. Big whoop. How many times did I get rejected summer before last when we were in New Mexico? And then how many more times when S.H…uh, the shitheads were moving us all over the place? No pain, no gain. I like the attitude, by the way. Nice one. Yeah, I'm going to have to venture it with Bruce, I think."

… …

"Dr. Gunnarssen, what's it like being engaged to a god?" the reporter from the New York Times asked.

She did her best to keep her eyes from rolling. "I don't know what you mean. I've never been engaged to anyone before, so I really don't have an answer for that."

"I think what we want to know is how you feel about it," Marco Lopez, from Tonight's Entertainment asked with a dimpled smile.

"Ah. Well, I love Loki, so I'm thrilled that he loves me enough to put up with all of the hoopla of our wedding ceremonies and such. But remember, we're already married according to Asgard's laws, so it's not a new relationship or a new depth of the relationship for me."

"Was this all his idea?" a female reporter asked. Kara had already forgotten the woman's name and credentials.

"Well, he'd asked the Avengers for their advice on what he could do to make up for my missing out on all of the traditional wedding activities. Pepper Potts suggested that since we were not married according to Migard laws that he might want to just start from scratch here, so Tony Stark helped him get the ball rolling, so to speak."

"You're on Earth, why are you calling it Midgard. Are you an Asgardian wannabe? Do you think you're too cool behind those wraparound shades?" She narrowed her eyes at Bill Rosen from Cox News…and she was using the word 'news' loosely. What an ass. Glancing at Pepper she noted the woman's slight nod and the feeling of satisfaction. This idiot had handed them the opportunity to bring this up.

"When Odin bound Loki's magic as a punishment for interfering with Earth's fate, he had to bind it to someone that could release it when it was needed to further protect the planet. The problem was that the binding was permanent and a human being just doesn't live a hundred and ten years, let alone that long plus however old they were when the binding was done." She paused and took a breath to prepare herself for the shit storm that was about to be released. "So in order for that to work, he had to change my DNA. Right now I'm a human/Æsir hybrid. My DNA is still changing and eventually I'll be fully Æsir." She pulled off the gold metallic lens sunglasses and let them stare at her ever-changing irises.

Instead of the explosion of excitement and outrage she had expected, silent shock reigned. Finally the patently adorable Marco spoke up in an awed tone. "Can anyone become Æsir?"

"Unfortunately, no. My nervous system was expanded due to experimental drugs that were used on me when I was in my early teens so I was able to survive it without too many problems. The process would kill most humans. That's why you don't usually see Asgardians hooking up with humans. They know they'll end up losing them either to old age or to the conversion process and it's just too painful."

"But didn't Loki fall in love with you before he was sentenced? Did he know you could survive it?"

"He did, Marco, and no, he didn't know I could survive it. Loki was convinced there could be no future for us; he'd resigned himself to losing me, but loved me anyway. I guess it was just meant to be." The expected murmurs of appreciation for the romance of it spread through the room.

"The dossier provided by the Avengers states that you are a pyrokinetic and an empathic healer. What does that mean, really?" New York Times guy…Scott Taubman asked.

"I can set things on fire with my mind, even things that normally wouldn't burn and I can help heal people or at the very least block their pain while a doctor works on them. I also feel the emotions of others if I don't work at blocking them out." They'd agreed she would not mention the projective empathy; that was her secret weapon.

"The things you can set on fire; would that be things like those aliens that your _boyfriend_ brought to New York?" the Cox News pig asked.

Kara told herself to calm down. They were expecting crap like this, especially from that snide self-righteous son of a bitch. "Like the aliens that Loki was _forced _to bring to New York, yes. If I'd been part of the Avengers then, I could have helped them win the battle more quickly than they did. The downside is that flaming aliens may have caused more damage than was actually done. My ability is not always good to use too close to structures."

"So while you're potentially very powerful, you're limited in where you can use that power?" the woman reporter from…oh, right, Cable News Delivered, guessed.

"Exactly, I never had a lot growing up and I know how much people's property means to them, so I'm going to hesitate before using enough power to destroy something when there is the potential to cost innocent people every last thing they own. Granted, if lives are at stake I will allow property to be destroyed to save those lives, but otherwise I'm going to let the other Avengers act before I do. I'm kind of a last resort in those cases."

"Okay, what the people want to know is what can _force _a so-called _god_ to do anything?" the Cox News so-called personality said with a condescending sneer.

"Something we all hope will never reach this planet, Bill, because if it does, we're all in deep trouble. The Avengers, along with our allies in Asgard, Ljósálfheim, Jötunheim and Vanaheim are working to prevent that from happening. I understand why you are being sarcastic with the term 'god' as applies to people like Thor or my fiancé, Loki. In the other realms that term means something very different from what it means here. There it's not religious; it's mostly a title given to the person with the greatest control over or prowess in a certain area."

"So your boyfriend, oh, excuse me, your _fiancé_ is the greatest expert at lying. Oh, now that's a sterling recommendation."

Kara was so damn glad Loki had not been allowed to attend this thing. Holy crap, _she_ was barely restraining herself from smacking this bastard. "He can convince most people of most anything. Fortunately, being an empath, I'm immune. But his true expertise in that area is being able to tell when people are lying to him. If you want him answering questions from you, I don't recommend testing it. It will annoy him and he'll refuse to talk to you thereafter."

The CND reporter, Liz Kaur, that's what her name was, cut off the asshole before he could speak again. "It's obvious what a god of Thunder can do for the Avengers and for Earth. What can Loki do? An expert in whether people are lying to him and an expert in mischief, well, that doesn't seem dangerous."

"He's also the god of Chaos. He used that ability to limit the damage the invaders did. He caused chaos in their ranks and in their plans. The ability to mislead them and make them think he wanted conquest helped him to hide his plans to bring in the Avengers to take them down. He's also an adept in sorcery, he can manipulate the physical world with what we call magic."

"Is that the power that's bound, then?" the woman guessed.

"Exactly. He can still spot lies, perform mischief, ferment chaos without that power. But _with_ it, he can take on a small army and win."

"But not the kind that came here?"

"That wasn't so much the army, Liz, but the powerful being backing them that he couldn't win against. Add to it that he was already badly hurt from an accident when that being captured him and, well, he was not able to defeat them without a lot of help."

"Edward Jones, Washington Post here, doctor," one of the 'serious news' reporters said. "Is there _anyone_ who can fight this being and win?"

She didn't blink as she told a lie that even Loki would have had trouble uttering with a straight face. "I firmly believe so, yes."

… …

"How the _hell _did that turn from a fluff interview about the LoKara romance to an interrogation about Earth's chances against that Mad Titan joker?" Nick Fury demanded.

"Nick, calm down. Kara handled it," Pepper snapped back. "We knew this was a possibility, but we also knew Kara would be able to deal with it, that's why we allowed the open format session."

"I don't even want to think about how the damned god of Mischief would have responded," the director ground out.

She smiled. It was a wonder Fury didn't suffer from ulcers. He wouldn't have lasted a week in her shoes. Fortunately, dealing with Tony Stark so closely for so many years had inured her to stress over most situations. She might love the man, but she was the first to admit to his many faults. "And that's why Loki wasn't there." Fury ground his teeth again and sat down.

"No more open sessions. From now on…"

"We can't do that. Not with the Avengers. What we can do is limit the open sessions to the members who can keep their cool and out-manipulate the manipulators without losing their temper. That means Kara, Tony…don't give me that look, Tony can bullshit them until they're blue in the face trying to figure out whether he's serious or not, Natasha, Steve and Bruce."

"Rogers couldn't lie if his life depended on it and do we really want to set Banner up in a situation guaranteed to make him very angry?"

"Steve is quite capable of frowning at them in a way that will make them squirm and saying 'no comment' if they ask something he can't answer honestly. Bruce would simply smile, shake his head, and walk away if it got to be too much, ignoring the clamoring for him to return. He's gotten very good at keeping a lid on the Hulk. Bruce lives and works in close proximity to Tony, for heaven's sake. If he can handle that, he can handle a half-hour with cutthroat reporters."

Nick held her stare for a moment and then turned to Kara. "What's your take on it, doctor?"

"I think everyone needs to stop calling me that. I can't be one anymore, once I'd drop my shields far enough to work with someone I'd be overwhelmed. But Pepper is right. Eventually Loki will be able to talk to them as well. He just needs an adjustment period and to study the kinds of questions they're likely to ask and the personalities of the reporters. After he's settled he'll be able to lead them around by their noses, seeming to say a lot, but actually telling them nothing at all. And he'll do it with a smile because he'll be having fun working them over with words. But he does need to see this a few times first so he's prepared for how pissed it will make him and can suppress any instinctive desire to twist a certain so-called reporter into a Gordian knot."

"Tell, me, Kara. How badly did you want to put Bill Rosen on his knees?" Pepper asked and chuckled as Kara's expression turned conspiratorial.

"Not at all, actually. What I wanted to do was turn him into a pile of ash. Then I decided that would be too easy a death for him. I've got to tell you, if we ever get bad guys threatening reporters and he's one of them, I won't be saving his ass."

… …

Sif stared at the dripping concoction Nyvorlas was stuffing into his mouth. "That looks disgusting," she told him as he chewed and then swallowed some of the 'chili dog' with a thoughtful expression.

"It's actually quite tasty. Try it," he suggested as he followed Rogers' example and picked up several of the 'fries' and dipped them into the 'catsup'.

Grimacing, she lifted the mess and took a tentative bite. Spicy meat sauce dripped down her chin and would have splashed on the 't-shirt' Beth had insisted she wear if the Ljósálfar hadn't captured it with a deft application of a napkin. "My thanks," she said once her food was swallowed. "It is exceedingly messy."

He shrugged. "But the taste?"

"Surprisingly good." Turning, she eyed Rogers. "I must concede to your choice of food yet again. I am enjoying it."

"Glad to hear it. It's one of my all-time favorites." He glanced out over the pier. "We can get cotton candy for dessert. Unless you'd rather have candy apples?"

She frowned at the Ljósálfar prince who shrugged, looking as confused as she felt. "Why do you have candy made of cloth and fruit?" she finally whispered to Rogers' lady.

Beth laughed. "Cotton candy is spun sugar. It's called that because it looks like balls of cotton floss that were just harvested. Candy apples are apples dipped in a candy coating. Both are very sweet and really delicious."

"Perhaps we might try some of each?"

… …

"How could they treat you thus?" Loki raged to Kara as he paced the room where a video record of the interview was being played for the team. "Do they have no sense of chivalry or at least of self-preservation?"

"Yo, Blitzen, calm down. It was only the one jerk and she was expecting it from him," Tony told the infuriated god. "If he had been polite, we'd have been left wondering what he was up to."

"Stark, do not tell me to calm down. This is an insult not just to my wife but to all of Asgard."

"I take it only as proof the man is a fool, brother. He will simply not be admitted to further interviews and his people will need to send another," Thor said reasonably.

"The next one they send will be just as much of an ass, Thor," Kara told him. "Really, it doesn't matter. All it does is make them look more and more unreasonable and stupid. Let it go."

"I will let him go," Loki muttered darkly. "Straight off of the edge of the nearest building. And that other one…giving you puppy eyes. Does he think to win what is mine?"

Tony plopped down in the armchair and began laughing helplessly. "Oh, crap, Lokes. Seriously? Some guy appreciates your woman's beauty and you automatically think he's hitting on her?" He shot a glance at Kara. "He wasn't hitting on you, was he?"

Predictably, she rolled her eyes. "No, Tony. He was doing what you do, trying to use his charm to get what he wanted; in this case, good sound bites for Tonight's Entertainment. Marco Lopez may be an underwear model on the side, but he's a happily married family man with an adorable little girl."

"Regardless, I do not like it. You will do no more of this," Loki spat.

"Ixnay on the orbiddingfay, buddy."

Loki glowered at him. "She is my wife, I will forbid her what is necessary."

Tony shook his head. "Do you even listen to yourself talk when you're in this kind of mood?"

"It's okay, Tony. I certainly don't listen to him talk when he's in this kind of mood. I most especially won't listen to him talk when he tries to get in bed with me after he's said something so asinine."

"Kara! I simply do not wish you to be subjected to such abuse again."

"Not your call! Until you can get with the program and learn to react reasonably and use your innate gifts to talk circles around these bozos, someone needs to do it. And that someone, right now, has to be me. Your choice." She dropped off of the stool she'd been perched on and stormed out of the room.

"Kara!" Tony shook his head at the outraged prince. "Don't give me that look Tony," he seethed.

"Oh, come on, you had to know she'd react like that."

"Do not presume as to what I do and do not know, Anthony. Why do you act as though this is about me? It is not about me," he spat and took off after his wife.

Tony shook his head. "Can I get a show of hands; how many think this is not about Loki?" he asked. Not one hand went up. "Yep, that's what I thought." He sighed heavily. "I'll go try and talk to him."

"Don't bother," Natasha told him. "Clint already went after him while you were busy being facetious."

"Oh, shit. That should be interesting."

… …

"Loki, wait up."

He was tempted to ignore Barton, but didn't want the man following him all the way back to his chambers. The archer was persistent and would not leave him be else. "I'm in no mood to deal with you, Clint," Loki warned him.

"Yeah, about that mood. You need to adjust it before you try to talk to Kara or you're just going to make it worse."

"Don't tell me how to deal with my wife, Barton."

"Somebody needs to, you're fucking it up." The man rubbed his hand over his face and then through his short hair. "Haven't you learned anything about dealing with strong women? Forbidding them is the one thing guaranteed to make them do exactly what you don't want them to do. Take my advice…"

"And why should I do that?" he snarled. "We all know who tops in your relationship." As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd gone too far. All of his knowledge about the relationship Barton had with Romanov was from the use of the Scepter to control the man.

"Damn you," Barton hissed as he grabbed Loki's shoulder. Loki allowed the shorter man to spin him around and slam him against the wall. "You bastard."

"Actually, I'm the only legitimate son amongst my brothers," he spat out. "Yet somehow, the only surviving son who will not sit a throne. How fair is that?"

"What the fuck, Loki. For weeks you've been saying you didn't want a throne. What the hell was that, sour grapes?" Barton shook his head. "Christ, I'm trying to help you out here. Why are you being such an ass?"

"She is my wife. My wife was subjected to abuse by those cretins. How am I supposed to handle it? It's my duty and privilege to protect and care for her, but it seems I must always stand by and allow her to protect and care for me. It's…demeaning." He leaned his head back against the wall and shut his eyes tiredly. "I am useless to the woman who means everything to me. I cannot…deal, I think the term is, with that."

Barton's hand was on his shoulder again, but this time the pressure felt…comforting, somehow. "Man, I guarantee you she doesn't see it like that. You need to start listening instead of just reacting. I mean, seriously, you had to have talked about you trying to tell her what to do before, right?"

"Yes."

"And I'll bet she made it clear that she wouldn't let you get away with it."

He groaned as he recalled promising he would do no such thing in the future. "She has. Damnation, I'm forsworn."

"Figured as much. Begging works well in cases like this."

"Barton, I do not beg." He frowned as he remembered his words to The Other, The Mad Titan's second in command and then sighed. "Though there is but one being in this life from whom I would beg anything."

"If Kara isn't that one being, I'll eat my quiver."

Loki snorted. "Your quiver and your stomach are safe from such folly. Begging it is."

… …

**End Notes:** Don't forget, I need baby girl names, PM me! Thanks for all of the reviews and love.

For those that want a 'scorecard', I've changed the TV network/show names. from Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and Fox News to protect the guilty. And, of course, Mario became Marco…he's such a cutie!


	61. Chapter 61

**Author's Notes:** More pictures have been posted to my Tumblr account (same user name), including Kara's engagement ring - I see some of you have already noticed that one…But I've just now uploaded Pepper's wedding gown and engagement ring. Enjoy!

Much fluff and feels lie herein.

… …

She was sitting in one of the armchairs; her head tilted back, glorious hair spread out behind her. Measured breaths were taken, slowly, evenly, no doubt designed to calm down the temper he had sent raging through her. Closing the door behind him gently, he made his way across the room and then knelt before her. His amazing lady; she was his one, his only, his everything. Why he felt the need to order her about he did not understand. Kara, while quick-tempered, was one of the wisest persons he'd ever met. True, she often made decisions from her heart rather than her head, but over and over again, those decisions were the right ones. He was living proof of that, was he not? Loki waited patiently as she continued to breathe. She knew he was there; her empathic gifts would have told her the moment he'd approached regardless of whether she was shielding. The corner of his mouth quirked up as he realized that he had never been able to sneak up on her, no matter how quietly he moved. Others were perpetually startled to find him so close, but not his wondrous lady. "You never cease to amaze me," he said with a smile as her kaleidoscope eyes finally fluttered open.

"Why did you break your word to me?"

Ah, right to the point. "As usual, my love, it was all about me." Her lips turned down even more sharply at his attempt at levity. "I felt helpless to protect you and it rankled. It-it underscored how much I have had to depend upon you and…" he trailed off with a sigh, breaking away from her gaze to stare at her feet. "I have too much arrogance, my love. I am truly sorry that I tried to tell you what you could or could not do. I should have _asked _you to consider not doing another of these interviews rather than insisting you do not for no other reason than to spare my wounded pride."

"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me not to be hurtful right back to you?" she asked, her voice still calm and even. "I knew it was a pride issue and I was so damn tempted to call you on it in front of everyone."

"Which would have wounded that pride even more, but you knew that. Even when I do not deserve your care you give it to me." And that, he decided, made him feel even more the ass.

"Loki, even when you piss me off, I love you. You always deserve to have that love, even when you screw up." Her hand smoothed over his forehead and along the side of his bound back hair. The touch was gentle and soothing and made him want to cry with the joy of it. "I'm…hmm, encouraged that you realize what you did and understand why you did it. That's progress, at least."

"I'm forsworn, Kara. I may now accurately be called oath-breaker. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I beg you for it anyway."

She blinked. "Wait, Loki of Asgard _begging_? Crap; and I don't have any witnesses to it. No one would ever believe me."

He looked up to see her sweet lips curled in a beautiful, loving smile and he huffed out a short laugh. "Barton will believe you. I told him that I realized begging was the only thing that might return me to your good graces."

… …

The quick laugh faded as Loki grew serious again. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"He is a good friend, Kara. I said something…fairly unforgivable and he brushed it off. Well, he did call me an ass first, but then he let it go."

"You're very good at being an ass." She sighed at his resigned nod. "But that makes you more approachable, more…one of us."

"I suppose it does at that." Kara found herself smiling as he laid his head in her lap and wrapped his long arms around her waist. "What must I do to earn your forgiveness?" he asked.

"Forgiveness is like love. It isn't earned, it's given. What you have to earn is trust. Like I said, you're making forward progress; you're recognizing when you've screwed up and admitting to why you've done it. But while I forgive you, I'm not going to be able trust you about this sort of thing until you stop doing it. You know how important it is, we've talked about it. If you keep telling me instead of asking me with little things like this, I'm not going to trust you when it is important. That could get us both killed."

He nodded, his grip tightening. "I know it. I have to get past my anger at the situation I-we're in."

"Do you know what you could do to help me not have to go through that kind of interview again?"

Loki looked up at her and grimaced. "Yes; I shall need to learn how to bury the insult I feel and deal with them myself." His eyes narrowed at her nod of agreement and then brightened with mischief. "Then I shall lead them all a merry chase."

Kara laughed as he sat back with an intensely calculating look as he mulled the possibilities over in his head. "Yep, you' are going to have a blast with this."

… …

Pepper Potts gathered up her tech and other items from the boardroom conference table and tucked them away in the custom made messenger bag she preferred over a traditional briefcase. In less than sixty seconds she'd be out of here and avoiding the usual questions about… "Ms. Potts, will there be a double wedding?" one of the board members asked. Damn. Another forty-five seconds and she would have been home free.

"No. We've discussed the idea and decided that neither Loki nor Tony would be willing to share the spotlight."

"What a shame, it would be quite the media event."

She frowned at the man. "I don't see it as a shame at all. A double wedding would be a circus; one wedding for each couple will be a media bonanza. It's a much better opportunity for both The Avengers and for Stark Industries." The man's jaw dropped and she smiled sweetly at him. "We'll be releasing details shortly. I'll see you at next week's meeting, good day." With that she strode out of the boardroom as quickly as possible without appearing to rush. A quick elevator ride later deposited her in the private section of the lobby where Natasha Romanov awaited her, dressed in her 'Natalie Rushman' persona's usual wardrobe. "Nat," she greeted the woman. "What's up?"

"You have a two-thirty at the bridal designer's workshop. Did you forget?" Natasha asked.

"Drat, I did. Where's Kara, then?"

"Waiting in the car. She's being recognized too easily, particularly in venues she might be expected to frequent."

"Getting tired of the fuss already, hmm?"

"Not the fuss, the obnoxious attitudes," Nat told her quietly as they made their way to the restored Bentley that Tony had recently added to his collection. The vehicle had once been the property of European royalty, Pepper had forgotten which ones. Tony had decided it was the only fitting ride for the 'queen of his heart'. "I think it's fueled equally by jealousy and fear. There's a lot of 'who is she to become the wife of a god' going on as well as the fear of what she can do now that she's becoming Æsir. Add that in to the knowledge of what Loki did, coerced or not, and she's being heckled constantly."

"They just can't catch a break, can they?" Pepper sighed at the resigned shake of Natasha's head. Darcy stepped out of the car and grinned at them. "Well, glad to see someone's in a good mood," Pepper told the girl as she climbed in and took her seat next to the other bride-to-be.

"I posted a You-TV video about a half hour ago of the shitheads hassling Kara. It's already going viral and you should see the comments giving the assholes hell." Darcy's smile was smug and her moss-green eyes sparkled.

"They made Kara and Loki into the underdogs with their accusations, didn't they?"

"Oh yeah. And social media is hell bent on supporting the underdog. It's going to be so practically suicidal to say anything hurtful about or to Kara that only Cox News would dare support the shit. By the way, did you hear their ratings plunged after the interview aired?"

"It came up during the board meeting. Definitely worth a smile." She eyed the silent princess at her side. "Kara, are you okay?"

The gold wraparound sunglasses turned her way. "Sure. It's just getting me down, I guess." Her mouth twisted slightly. "I hate the mob mentality. One on one, face to face, most of these people would never come up with any of this garbage. But get a group of them together and it's a wall of hate just pouring over me."

"Can you feel it through your shields?" Kara nodded and folded her arms across her abdomen. "I'm so sorry, honey. Is there anything we can do to help?"

A tear trickled out from under the shades. "Just having you guys around helps. I'm sorry, it's just hard to not let it get to me after a while…and-and I have to get it out of my system before we go back to the Tower. I don't need Loki picking up on it. He feels badly enough as it is."

Pepper smiled as Nat climbed over to Kara's other side and sat down beside her. "I could take out a few key members of the hate organizers," the former assassin offered. Pepper grimaced as she realized the offer was sincere. "That would take the wind out of their sails. No one would ever know it wasn't natural causes."

"They're _organized_?" Kara asked, sounding horrified.

"Hate campaigns usually are. They don't spring up naturally; they're usually very carefully orchestrated by someone with a serious agenda. We're still researching the why, but we have some of the who identified."

"The why is almost always profit-based. Even if it's political, it's to get people in place to pass laws that will mean more profit for those pulling the strings," Pepper felt she should explain. Natasha nodded; she'd known that, obviously.

Kara shook her head. "I just don't understand that mentality, I really don't."

"Rich capitalist pigs; no offense to Tony, he's rich and can be a pig, but not in that way," Darcy piped up. "Hey, we can start counter-propaganda once we get all of them ID'd."

"No," Kara said. "I won't stoop to their level."

"Honey, sometimes you have to dirty your hands to survive. This isn't a game, it's your life. You're going to be here long after these bastards are dead, and you need to know you'll be able to live here without wondering every minute when someone is going to stab you in the back, literally or figuratively. It has to be nipped in the bud now."

"I'd have expected to hear that from Nat, but you, Pepper?"

"I've been with Stark Industries for over a decade. I've seen it, each and every day. There's a reason Tony is as, well, crazy as he is. A good man can't handle this garbage without sacrificing something. He decided to stay good at heart, which means he had to let off steam some other way."

"So the adrenaline rush seeking, the drinking, the womanizing, the narcissism, etc., were all to give him the freedom to do good stuff?"

"The relief of pressure that built up from doing the good stuff when everyone else told him it wasn't profitable or advisable. Yes. Well, except for the narcissism. That's pure unadulterated Tony."

"Damn. I'm impressed." Kara grinned as she tugged the wraparound glasses off of her nose and dried the wet streak on her cheek with a tissue. "Go, big brother."

… …

Pepper had already chosen her dress and it was ready for her first fitting. It was gorgeous and if Kara had been marrying a human, she would have been more than happy with a similar gown. However, she was marrying Loki, and Lord Haakun had informed her that since her in-laws would come from Asgard to attend the very public ceremony…along with, she was horrified to learn, heads of state from both Midgard and at least four of the other seven realms, she needed to meet their expectations. She'd drawn the line at wearing green, so the designer had put together a portfolio of drawings accompanied by fabrics and trims in various shades of gold. Leafing through the drawings was growing more tedious with each and every page. Sighing as she turned yet another, she gasped and then grinned when she realized her gasp had been echoed by Darcy, Natasha and Pepper. It was perfect. "This is it," she told the young man who had been fussing over them for the past hour and a half.

Aleixandre flushed as he looked at her choice. "Perfect, the Venetian inspired gown, you will love it. We'll add some sparkle, green stones, no?" he asked.

"Um, sure, I guess."

"This is my favorite design," he said in a confiding tone. "I'd despaired of ever having the opportunity to create it properly. The fabrics, the trim, all of the delicate gold work…but it will be a labor of love, I promise you."

"And a very rich paycheck, I presume," Pepper added with a smile.

"Well, yes, but it will take countless hours of hand-sewing to bring this masterpiece to life," he told her earnestly. "Your amazing dress is almost complete, and I will then dedicate myself and my assistants to making this gown total perfection." He grinned and almost danced around the room. "Every other bride on the planet will be jealous that they are not wearing an Aleixandre Bailey original," he crooned.

Kara rolled her eyes and gave Pepper an exasperated look. "Isn't it perfect, Kara?" Pepper asked her. She reluctantly nodded. "Then let the guy have his…um, joy in the moment."

"Fine. Look, Mr. Bailey…"

"Aleixandre, your highness."

She sighed. "Aleixandre. We'll need to incorporate a coronet into the veil. I didn't think to bring it with me."

"Oh, I did," Darcy piped up. "Well, I brought it; Loki thought of it, it's in my tech bag." She dug through the small bag, which contrary to its name, was stuffed with papers. The girl looked up at Kara's soft snort. "Yeah, I know…I've got to clean it out. Here we go." She pulled out a slim wooden case and handed it over.

"Thanks." Opening it, Kara showed the formal circlet to the designer. Unlike the one that was hurriedly provided for her wedding feast on Asgard, this one was etched with a flame design and was studded with dark green crystals that Loki had informed her could be charged with energy if needed. He had a new circlet as well, though his was engraved with what looked suspiciously like chaos symbols dripping with icicles.

"Ahhhh, lovely. Let me take the dimensions and we can produce a mock up for the veil design work so that you may substitute the real thing on the big day, yes?"

"Sounds good to me."

… …

Dr. Foster's work had required their presence and Loki had kept a close eye on Thor and the mortal. Much to his relief, Thor kept his mouth shut for the most part and spoke politely and respectfully when addressed. More importantly, Thor did not stare at the woman with the lost puppy look he generally gave his brother when Loki was the one who had been wronged. No, Thor simply looked at what was required when questions were asked and looked around at the other equipment in the lab when his attention was not directly needed. For once the socially inept oaf had listened. Suddenly his elder brother straightened. "Lady Jane? This is it." He pointed at one of the monitors; it was displaying a new frequency, a frequency Loki was very familiar with.

"This is what?" Jane asked, her jaw somewhat set at having to speak one on one with her former admirer.

Loki decided to rescue the woman. "This frequency is the one that resonates with the Bifröst. If you can artificially generate this frequency at one of the egresses, we should be able to connect directly to it." Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. "It might even help complete the repairs to the bridge if we coordinate it with Asgard's efforts there."

"That's…that's…oh my God. Are you kidding me? No, of course you're not. Holy, geez. I would have missed it."

"I did miss it," Loki admitted. "We are fortunate Thor decided to pay attention to your other devices."

Jane Foster turned to look at his brother. "Yes, we really are. Thank you, Thor. This is wonderful." The mortal woman even managed to sound sincere.

"You are most welcome, Lady Jane," Thor told her formally. "Brother? Should I bespeak Heimdall or go to Asgard to discuss this directly with our father?"

"Check with Haakun. We do have an event this evening. If there is a lull between events, perhaps you can alert Heimdall tonight and then go to Asgard to plan the experiment directly with father and the others who work on the repairs."

"Excellent advice; I'll track down Haakun and let you know." Thor nodded briefly to Doctors Foster, Selvig and Banner, and loped out of the lab and down the hall.

"You handled yourself quite well, Jane," he said quietly to Dr. Foster after the men returned to their research.

"I-thank you. It wasn't too bad since we had something, um, important to talk about."

"Casual conversation won't be possible for quite some time, I imagine. But do you not think this bodes well for that to one day be an obtainable goal?"

"Yes. I don't…it's too raw, yet. I know it was the right thing to do, it's just hard to process."

"Walk with me." He turned and left the lab, relying on the sound of her footsteps to tell him she followed. He stopped in the elevator lobby. "You are the first person he's given a care to. Before you he would cast off the women who had attracted him with little more than a word when he became bored or found someone new. He did not agonize over the hurt he caused them; indeed, it did not even occur to him that they would be hurt." Loki huffed a soft laugh. "Though I much doubt he'd have cared if it had occurred. Thor is a better man because of your influence. He did not end your relationship because of boredom or because of another woman, but because he knew it was not the right one for either of you. I know this is not much comfort, but I felt you should know that he is trying his best to be a good man."

Jane nodded. "I -I know that. And he really was right to break it off. Maybe a lot of my hurt is ego, I don't know."

Loki frowned as he considered that statement. "No. It is simply the pain of rejection. You dared to open up to another and your efforts were pushed aside. It hurts, I know. I've been there. But you must not close yourself off, that way lies madness, literally."

"You've been _there _too?"

"I should think that much was obvious."

"You know, Loki, you're actually a pretty nice guy. Well, you would be if you'd stop telling Kara what to do." He wanted to retort, but caught himself as he noticed the woman's teasing tone.

"My, aren't you the bold one; mocking the god of Mischief." He shook his head ruefully. "I must be getting soft that one such as you dares such."

"Being a friend doesn't mean you're getting soft. Not in this group, anyway. I don't think there's a normal person in the bunch."

Loki considered the claim. "Perhaps Bethany and mayhap Pepper. The rest? No, you're quite right. But I find the abnormal comfortable."

"Yeah, me too."

… …

Thor fidgeted as yet another diplomat was introduced to them. This one was from Norway, interestingly enough. Less interesting was that the man thought this should make him more important in their eyes. He struggled to keep his expression polite and let Loki do the talking. As usual, his brother managed witty banter that had the diplomat convinced that he had made a favorable impression with the pair. Finally, the 'chat' was over and the man moved off. "It's not as if they've worshipped us in recent generations," he grumbled to Loki.

"Nor are they likely to in the future. Still, the man has some pride vested in the fact that his people helped to keep our legends alive, no matter how convoluted and distressingly wrong some of them were."

That got a laugh out of him. "I still cannot countenance the mortals' belief that you gave birth to anything, let alone a horse."

"Don't forget the giant serpent and the wolf," Loki reminded him. "They did not understand metaphors back in the day, I suppose. And I did raise Sleipnir from a newborn foal abandoned to die, so in a way I was his mother."

"Wait, what?" They turned to see Kara frowning at them as she approached, flanked by Romanov and Barton playing bodyguards. "There was actually something to that story?"

Loki sighed. "Yes. I had bargained for a foal out of Svadilfari, the prized stallion of the Hill Giants. I'd intended the foal to be a gift for Odin on his feast day and had used magic to ensure the foal would not only be a colt, but would be the fastest of all horses. This was many centuries ago you understand, and my magic was not as accurate as it is now."

"Was this around the same time you screwed up Sif's hair?" Kara asked as Barton choked back a laugh.

"Give or take a few decades, yes. Both incidents taught me well the importance of accuracy over pure power in sorcery. So, the colt was born, and he had eight legs. The Master of Horse was aghast and ordered the 'poor deformed thing' be put down. I was determined to prove my magic's worth and spirited the colt away. Because he was taken from the mare so young, I had to bottle feed him, teach him to walk and well, everything else a colt must learn. Once he was old enough and secure with his body, I taught him to run."

"How? I mean, watching you run isn't going to help a horse. And watching another horse run isn't going to help one who has four extra legs."

"No, and this is where it got complicated. I had to learn to shift my form through sorcery to that of an eight-legged horse and then teach myself how to run before I could teach Sleipnir. Eventually, I managed it and found the extra legs gave him more speed and endurance than any normal horse."

"So, your magic worked, just in an unanticipated way?" Natasha asked.

"Exactly. He was ready by Odin's next feast day and I rode him into the Valhöll. There were snide comments, but Odin said naught. Our mother suggested that Thor go fetch his stallion, as at that time Thor's Fastmundr was hailed as the fastest in all the Nine Realms, and that we race to the Observatory and back. We did so; Sleipnir and I arrived back at the thrones more than fifteen lengths ahead of Thor and his steed. I dismounted and dropped to a knee holding the reins out to our father. I'd taught Sleipnir to bow and he did so and held it until Odin accepted the reins and patted him on the neck. Then he smiled…Odin, not Sleipnir. I think it was the only time during my youth that I ever made him smile."

Loki smiled now as his lady hugged him tightly. Thor grinned. "I have seen him smile over things you had done before and have done since. But since they were acts of mischief, his smiles had to be hidden as he could not be seen to condone such things. He does truly love you, Loki."

"I know that now, my brother," Loki agreed and Thor's mood brightened under the oh-so-casual use of the word. It was becoming almost normal, but it never failed to warm him. "And I have always loved him, even when I hated him."

… …

Kara's head hurt. No, she hadn't had to deal with her temper; it wasn't one of the power blockage migraines, there had been no repeat of that since Eir had worked her healing magic. This pain was a combination of listening to political bullshit and wearing the damn circlet for six hours. "Why are you not fighting a headache?" she asked her husband.

Loki smiled as he tugged her into his lap, lifted the circlet from her head and began massaging her temples. "I'm used to it; both wearing one of these and listening to useless bores for hours on end." His fingers were magic, she decided as the tension began to abate. And it had nothing to do with sorcery.

Sighing, she dropped her head back on his shoulder, raising it again as a thought occurred. "You aren't nagging me about my seatbelt."

"I'm holding you, which is far more secure than one of those devices." She smirked at the comment and he sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Fine, _now _I'm holding you."

"You make me smile," she told him as she made herself comfortable in his arms.

"Don't go all sickeningly sweet back at her or I'm going to have to try and hurt you," Clint said as Loki opened his mouth.

"I'll let that go because I owe you," Loki informed him.

"Wow, I'd be worried if I didn't know you two liked each other," Kara said as she buried her face in her husband's neck.

"Bite your tongue, woman. One doesn't _like _mere mortals."

She could hear the teasing note in his voice, and she was sure Clint could too, but couldn't resist the challenge. "Well, excuse me oh exalted one. You _love_ these mere mortals." He gave her the patented 'Loki stare of death', but the expected retort didn't accompany it. Clint, for a change, was smart enough not to say a word as she kissed Loki's jaw.

… …

Their new suite featured what Stark had told them was his second attempt at an Asgard-style sunken bath. It was a good bit smaller, the water flow wasn't as even and the temperature wasn't as quickly adjusted, but he'd had to rely on tech rather than sorcery. All in all, it was a quite credible attempt. Loki had to admit to being impressed. Kara was ecstatic. "I love this bath," she told him as she luxuriated in the warm flow of water.

"You must, you've been in it for an hour already," he teased. "I didn't think I'd made you quite that dirty."

"Humph. It's relaxing. I need relaxing, I had a stressful day."

"I thought that was what the lovemaking was for."

"No-o-o, the lovemaking was because you're too damn hot to resist."

"Hmm. Don't fall asleep in there. We do have a bed for that." He smiled as she stuck her tongue out at him. "You never said; did you choose a dress?"

"I chose a dress design," she told him as she finally climbed out of the water. "It's very ornate; your mother will love it."

"Do you love it? That's what should be important." She sighed, that didn't bode well. "If you're not happy with this one choose something else. This is _your_ day not my mother's or anyone else's.

"I know. It is gorgeous. I want it to be perfect and for that, it needs to be something that meets everybody's expectations for a princess of Asgard. As much as I know you want it to be all about me, everyone else be damned, I'm not that selfish. I know that marrying you means that I'm a public person now. I can live with that, as long as you're part of the package."

"I'm very proud of you, did you know that?" he asked as he wrapped her snugly in the large towel and held her close. She smiled in response as he wrapped another towel around her hair and squeezed the excess water out. "Do you at least _like_ the damn thing?"

"Yes, I like it. The other girls did too. Do you know how hard it is to get four women to agree on one dress? Compound that impossibility with the personalities involved, I mean, seriously. Pepper, Natasha, Darcy and me; all agreeing on the same dress, how unlikely is that?"

"It must be perfect."

"Exactly." She sighed as he continued to work on towel drying her hair. "It's kind of an Italian Renaissance style in ivory silk with tons of gold overlay. You'll enjoy the view from your height."

He ended up sputtering at her comment. She'd managed to keep a perfectly straight face, but her eyes were sparkling more than usual. "That's twice you've caught me with your outrageous comments this evening," he scolded her. "That's not so easy to do."

"You should be used to my outrageous comments by now," she told him as he lifted her and carried her to their bed. "I can walk, you know."

"I know; I enjoy carrying you."

She smiled at him as he settled them under the covers and pulled her into his embrace. "You do love them, you know; for their acceptance of you and us if nothing else."

"Perhaps some of them," he decided to admit. "Those who have the most reason to hate me, at any rate. Was it really necessary to point it out publicly?"

"Probably not. I'm really sorry if I embarrassed you."

"I did owe Barton, and Natasha would go to her grave before betraying what she would see as a confidence. Fortunately the others were in the other vehicle so I suppose it's all right." He frowned at her. "This time."

She yawned, adorably, and rubbed her soft cheek against his shoulder. "I love you, and not because you accept me."

"No, you love me because I'm too damn hot to resist."

"No teasing when I'm half asleep," she insisted and then yawned again. "Night, Loki."

"Good night, my sweet love."

… …

"His Royal Highness, Prince Loki of Asgard requests your presence at a ball to celebrate his engagement to Dr. Kara Gunnarssen," Nick read from the formal invitation. "Is he fucking kidding me?"

Raj grinned at the exasperated man. "I don't think so, no." He shrugged at his friend's glare. "You could always send your deputy."

"No, I can't. It goes on to specifically state that Maria Hill is not welcome in any capacity. Can you believe this garbage?"

"Give it a rest, director. I thought you said he wasn't all that bad?"

"I didn't say that. I said the son of a bitch might deserve a break. Entirely different thing."

"If you say so. Are you going to decline?"

"And miss the opportunity to see politicians groveling over someone who would cheerfully separate their heads from their fool necks given the choice? Not a chance."

"That's the spirit. Are you going to stand around imagining the worst case scenario during the entire event and smirk at them all?"

"I'll plead the fifth on that, doctor."

Chuckling, Raj held up his own gilded envelope. "Well, you'll have company. Though I don't think we'll see any of our visitors causing issues. The U.N. diplomats were exceedingly charmed, from what I'm told. There are two regents amongst them, and they were also favorably impressed. Kara is, apparently, back in their good graces."

"She's bringing them a powerful alliance, or so it's being made to appear. That's not such a stretch."

"Sadly, it's not." Raj sat back and watched Nick pace his office, frowning when he realized the red desktop had been replaced by a blue one that matched the shards in the large glass jar. He looked to the corner of the room and his eyes widened. A second jar had joined the first and it was filled with red shards. "What happened?"

Nick Fury followed his gaze and sighed tiredly. "Did you know that Nyvorlas and Loki were close friends in their youth?" Raj shook his head, still speechless at the thought of a second pricey desktop reduced to rubble. "I impugned their masculinity and the elf was not amused."

"He's that strong? Loki froze the thing first; it's small wonder that it shattered…but Prince Nyvorlas?"

"Ljósálfar, it seems, have _magic_ that manipulates nature or natural materials. He used that magic to make the marble brittle before striking it."

The word 'magic' was pronounced as though it had left a sour taste in the director's mouth. He could appreciate that his old friend was becoming heartily tired of it. Raj wasn't terribly at ease with that power himself. "I do like the blue better."

His black clad friend barked a laugh and dropped down to lounge in his leather chair. "Stark had better be bringing out the good booze for this shindig. I seriously need a drink."

… …

Haakun enjoyed the quiet on the roof of Avengers' Tower when he passed his reports to Heimdall. There were no mortals to deal with, or Ljósálfar. Lady Sif and his princes well knew he enjoyed his rare moments of solitude. He was very good at his job, but he was not, by nature, a gregarious man and assignments such as this wore heavily on him. He concluded his impressions of how well Thor and Loki had worked together in dealing with the mortal ambassadors, telling of how skillfully Loki had guided not only the questions but had provided subtle clues to lead Thor into wise responses. Haakun decided not to mention how astounded he was that Thor had understood the clues. Odin knew well enough that his elder son was not a man of subtlety and would be impressed all on his own. "That is all at this time, Heimdall," he concluded.

"Not all, Lord Haakun," Thor said from behind him. Haakun turned to give him a questioning look. "The frequency?" he reminded.

"Ah, of course. Please, go ahead."

Thor grinned. "Heimdall, please tell my father that Lady Jane's experiments have isolated the frequency modulation used by the Bifröst. Loki believes that we can reproduce that frequency here and that this will help with repairs to the bridge. He plans to spend the morrow writing up his thoughts on how this might best be accomplished and I shall return home two days hence with it and will remain long enough to plan a response. If you could also advise all interested that I will accept missives to carry to our people here, that would be much appreciated."

"The repair of the Bifröst will go a long way toward easing the remaining bad sentiment in Asgard," he told Thor.

"Aye, I know it. And the upcoming treaty talks, should they go well, will finish the job. Loki will be in most everyone's good graces long before his sentence is served."

That would make Haakun's job and his much anticipated retirement from his duties as First Councilor a great deal easier. "I am proud of you both, my prince.

… …


	62. Chapter 62

Now this was cool. Well, it was freaking hot in the middle of the desert in New Mexico, but the situation was totally radically cool. Electronic equipment was everywhere, his arc reactor technology generators powering it. The portable buildings had been moved back in, and there were more of them this time. Their resident Frost Giant had been 'graciously allowed', according to him, to have his magic back so that he could turn the water in the tank that fed the cooling system to slush. According to his wife, it went more like: 'take your damn magic back and ward that tank to keep it cold before I melt'.

Either way, Tony was cool with that. Heh, literally when he was inside. But no, he was sitting out beside what Loki and Thor called 'the Gallisteo Egress' while Jane, Erik and Bruce ran around adjusting equipment. Equipment…oh yeah. Great stuff. But after a week of this it was getting a little boring. Even running around playing attack the evil guy (Loki with his full magic versus Tony, Natasha, Clint and Cap with an occasional assist from Kara using only her projections) was getting old. Tony hopped off the table he'd been lounging on as Bruce began glaring at the device that was giving him problems. "Yo, Shrek, calm down. Talk to me, what's happening?"

Bruce sighed. "It keeps losing power. I've checked and rechecked it; there's no interruption from the power supply; I just can't figure out where the power is going."

"Huh. Let me take a look at it." He stepped in and fiddled with the circuit boards and connections. Everything seemed to be going great, but if the power wasn't… "Ow! Shit." He pulled his hand back and shook off the tingly burning feeling. "That sucker is live, all the way to the output…oh." Stepping back he grabbed a portable power monitor and aimed it at the output. Yep, power was coming out but nothing was visibly happening. Tony grunted as a thought occurred and he carefully moved, inch by inch, following the output of power. "Son of a bitch," he mumbled as he stared up into the sky.

"What's happening?"

"Hang on." Tony looked around for Loki. No sign of him. He hit the communicator in his ear. "Loki, get your ass in some pants and get out here. I think we're connecting but we can't see it."

Several moments later the god's irritated voice responded. "Your timing is every bit as execrable as Thor's."

"Not my fault you're trying to bugger that woman twenty-four/seven. Come on, this is important."

"Can you possibly be any more crude?" Loki asked from behind him.

"Yeah, actually. But in the interests of retaining all my body parts I'm keeping a lid on it. Good move on getting the mojo released, you'll need it."

"So it seemed from what you'd said." Loki walked unerringly to the point where the power flow had headed straight up. Or out, depending on how you looked at it.

"Can you see it or are you just feeling the power?" Tony asked.

"Feeling it. We're just a smidge off on the frequency, I think. It's reaching the Bifröst, but not opening the path." He strode over to the banks of modulators and stared at them with narrowed eyes. "Jane?" he called out. "Explain these two, if you would."

She hurried over. "Um, not mine. Erik?"

Oh boy. Erik Selvig was still really unhappy about working with Loki. It wasn't that he still thought Loki was evil incarnate, but he hadn't managed to let go of the primal fear of having his mind enslaved again. Tony figured that was understandable. The man was all about the mind, and being basically mind fucked by someone, even if it wasn't their fault, was enough to leave lasting scars. And the old dude had point blank refused counseling even before Kara hooked up with Loki. "These are the subharmonics that regulate the signal, keeping it stable," he said briefly.

Loki looked uncomfortable as all hell. He'd gotten used to the rest of them hanging out, teasing him and accepting him. Selvig's cold formality had to be a grim reminder of where he'd been, what he'd done. Oh well, he'd just have to suck it up. "I see. Will it have a negative impact on your intent if we increase the oscillations by an overall order of one-eighth?"

The physicist frowned. "You're speaking of creating a Chaos model to incorporate a continuous conduction mode."

"I am."

Selvig's pale eyes crinkled in genuine humor. "Appropriate, isn't it?" he asked with a slight chuckle. "Seeing as how you are the god of Chaos."

Loki's mouth twitched. "Touché, doctor. Will it work?"

"I believe so, yes. I'll get right on it."

… …

"I'm headed back indoors," he told Stark. "Even with my magic this heat is draining."

"You'd never know it from how you kicked our asses again this morning. You know, Lokes, we've got to find a way for Kara to practice with us. She doesn't have enough combat experience and if the MT does come here, she's gonna need it."

Loki glared at his erstwhile brother-in-law. "When he does come here, I plan on sending her to Jötunheim and have Helblindi hide her away."

"Uh huh. Have you discussed that with her?" Stark chuckled when he remained silent. "Come on, you know better than that, or I sure hope you do."

He sighed heavily. "Yes, I do. I'm deluding myself, I suppose. My greatest fear is that the Titan will find her, will know what she means to me, and will punish her for my betrayal. She could not survive it, not even now."

"Nah. My money's on Kara. Hey, maybe the bastard's highly flammable?"

"Doubtful, though I suppose one could hope."

"Then she needs to work on that molecule alteration so she can make him burn regardless. Hey, great idea, if I do say so myself. I'm going to hunt down Sitwell and have him order us some highly fire-resistant objects for her to practice on."

"Tony, we're surrounded by highly fire-resistant objects," he reminded the so-called genius, making a sweeping gesture to encompass the rocky terrain.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm talking about something closer to what the MT might be made of. I've got some ideas…trust me."

Loki watched Stark lope off toward the building. He was still managing to use at least some variation of his name…most of the time. There was a betting pool as to when the snarky bastard would revert to calling him inappropriate nicknames on a regular basis and most of them had already lost as the days they'd selected had passed with almost no public snark. Well, none involving _his_ name; Stark was still consistently using nicknames for the others, but so long as they didn't complain, Loki had agreed not to retaliate on their behalf. How utterly boring. "What's got you so aggravated?" a soft voice asked as arms snaked around his waist.

He smiled and squeezed his lady's clasped hands gently before turning around in her embrace. "More disappointed than aggravated; I haven't had an excuse to prank Tony in a while, though I suppose I could blame it on the acronyms."

"Hmm. Well, you are the god of Mischief. So long at it isn't anything major, why do you need an excuse?"

"I thought it would make you angry?"

Kara groaned and leaned her forehead against the skin revealed by the open collar of his tunic. "No; not if you don't use magic and don't do anything hurtful. Loki, it's your nature to be mischievous. I don't want to change you; I just don't want either of us to get in trouble with Asgard."

He hugged her tightly. "Nor do I. Good, then you will not mind when Stark discovers that…"

"Loki, goddamn it all!" Loki grinned as Stark's outraged bellow echoed off of the rocks.

"Oh no, what did you do?"

… …

Kara watched in fascinated horror as Tony stalked toward them, waving the faceplate from his suit around wildly. "What the fuck is this?" he demanded. Taking a closer look at it once it stopped moving, she realized that the faceplate had been repainted with the 'Guy Fawkes mask' popularized by the protest group known as 'Anonymous'.

Loki shrugged. "They're famous for hacking; you're the second best hacker I know…"

"Best."

"_Second_ best. I hacked both you _and _S.H.I.E.L.D. in less than one afternoon, or have you forgotten?"

Tony groaned. "Second best, goddamn it."

"And since you've expressed admiration of their efforts…"

"Hey, they turned the Hammer Industries home page into a three ring circus…literally. What's not to admire?"

"Exactly."

Tony looked at the faceplate again, but Kara could feel that his anger had drained away. "I'm going to have to sandblast this and then repaint it. You're a real pain in the ass, Loki."

She leaned in closer. "Uh, Tony?"

"What? You think he's not a pain in the ass? I don't see him repainting your armor."

A wave of amusement made her give Loki a sharp look. "What did you do to my armor?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"Nothing dangerous."

Sighing, she turned back to Tony. "Try hot water and dishwashing detergent. It looks like several layers of tempera paint, it should wash off. I'd better go find out what happened to my armor."

"Guess he's not being kept busy enough."

"That's not _my _fault. I'm doing my part, several times a day lately."

"Geez, Kara. TMI, you know?"

"Definitely," Loki agreed. "Besides which, we're making up for lost opportunity."

"Uh huh." She left them both roasting in the sun as she headed back to the residential building. Returning the greetings of various agents and support workers, she opened the door to the workshop where the bulk of the Avengers' equipment was kept. Her suit hung up on one wall. As she moved closer she noticed that it too sported a new paint job. Unlike the funny but annoying change to Tony's faceplate, the paint added to her armor was actually…pretty. Loki had painstakingly painted flowers on a good third of the scales, not the same flower, oh no, that would be too simple. The overall effect was a bit much, but each individual tiny painting was beautiful. "How the hell did he get all of this done without anyone noticing?" she muttered.

"He had help?" Steve Rogers was standing in the doorway wearing sneakers and socks, shorts, a tee shirt and a wide grin. "Hey, Loki isn't the only one who gets bored, you know. Even I can't train or work out sixteen hours a day."

"Okay, now I'm impressed." Not only had Loki managed to sneak in mischief, but he'd gotten Captain America to unbend enough to participate.

Steve shrugged. "I considered it a team-building activity."

"Just the two of you and it becomes team-building?"

"Oh, I never said it was just the two of us," he told her with a grin as he pulled out of the doorway and escaped down the hall. Kara stared after him and had to remind herself to close her open mouth.

… …

"He wants what?" Fury asked as though he'd become hard of hearing.

Jasper Sitwell sighed. "Stark asked for two dozen seven-foot tall humanoid figures. They're to be made out of silica-based aerogel with an internal skeleton of tantalum coated lead to give them enough weight to not fall over in a heavy wind. Oh, and if possible they should be an ugly shade of purple and have faces sculpted to match the sketch I uploaded."

"What in hell for?"

"Because it matches Loki's description of the Mad Titan, I believe."

Fury was silent and Jasper's right eye began to twitch. "I meant that I want to know why Stark wants them, not why he wants them to be purple and have the face from this sketch," his director said in a display of uncharacteristic patience.

"Oh. Ah, I'll quote. 'With big and ugly headed this way eventually; we need Hellbringer to practice bringing hell to his purple ass' end of quote. Uh, sir?"

"Yes, Agent?"

"Silica-based aerogel is highly heat and flame resistant as is tantalum. If she learns to make that stuff burn, she can burn pretty much anything."

"Including, we hope, the ugly purple ass of a Mad Titan; understood. Tell Stark he'll get the bill. This is going to put a dent even in _his _bank account. Fury out."

… …

Selvig still hadn't succeeded in finding the exact frequency for the subharmonics after four days of trying. Banner and Stark were tossing out ideas so far-fetched that even Loki had given up on making sense of them. He decided he needed a walk. Several Quinjets flew overhead and touched down in the landing area that had been set aside near the compound. Loki frowned as two familiar figures stepped out of one of them. Lord Haakun must be fed up with their antics, he supposed as Sif and Nyvorlas walked towards him in mid-bicker. Loki sighed heavily. It would make thinks so much simpler if Sif would just bed the fool and be done with it. He'd no doubt that it would cure the Ljósálfar's lust for the warrior. "Gods, the two of you sound like an old married couple."

Nyvorlas grinned and Sif flushed. Interesting. "Are you and your lady to the constant argument stage already?" the prince asked him.

"Only when I provoke her by being an ass," he admitted. "What brings you out here?"

"We heard tell of the new training tool and thought we should work with it as well," Sif said.

"What new training tool?" The ill-matched pair looked back at the cargo-carriers in response. Large crates were being brought out on motorized sledges. One such crate was being driven over the rise into the natural bowl they'd used during their initial return from Asgard to test Kara's increased fire. Curious, Loki trotted up the rise; Nyvorlas and Sif close on his heels. The crate was maneuvered upright and then two workers began the task of removing the top and sides. His vision blurred as it opened and he dropped to his knees as horrific memories flooded his conscious mind for the first time in many months. Thanos.

"Loki?" A cool cloth was pressing gently on his face as he struggled back to consciousness. "I think he's coming out of it," he heard Kara say.

"What was that…obscenity?" he rasped.

"A target dummy," she told him, obviously knowing what he was referring to. "Tony should have warned you. I chewed him out about it already. PTSD of the magnitude you have doesn't allow room for surprises like that."

"I do not need to be coddled, Kara."

"Oh for pity's sake, Loki; you were tortured by that crazy bastard. No, you don't need to be _coddled_, but a little warning would have been appropriate, especially since you're on edge knowing that eventually the real deal is heading here."

"I hardly think the _real deal_, as you put it, would travel here in a shipping crate." Her face settled into the stubborn lines he knew so well. She was not about to allow him to berate himself for his weakness. "Kara, it is fine. I'm fine."

Her hand threaded soothingly though the hair that had been released from its now customary braid. "I know you're fine. But we had to haul you in from the hill. And by _we_ I mean me, Sif and Steve. Nyvorlas was too busy laughing his butt off and no one else is really strong enough to help. I'm pretty pissed at Nyvorlas, too."

"He was laughing at me? Damned ass."

"Only partially at you. I did make him admit that he'd been horrified for a minute when he first saw the thing, and all he knew about the Titan was tales that he'd heard from bards, _and_ he was expecting what was in the crate. So he was also laughing at himself."

"You're certain?" Her eyebrows lifted at his question. "Of course you're certain," he answered himself. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She walked around to the other side of their bed and slid in beside him.

Loki wrapped his arms around his lady and hugged her tightly. "All I could think was that you were in danger. I froze and panic overwhelmed me."

"That's pretty normal, actually."

"It's weak. They were right all along. I'm a disgrace to my family, either family."

Kara pushed away from his chest and sat up to glare at him. "No. You know what's weak? Do you know what the disgrace is? That every time you have a little setback, every time you have it proved to you that you're a real person with real problems that may never completely heal you hide behind your supposed inferiority. Damn it, Loki! Prove yourself wrong. You've already proven everyone else wrong; the only one you need to convince is you."

"She's right, you know. If I'd seen someone unloading something that looked like Obadiah in that ugly giant suit of his, I'd have had a coronary; but I wouldn't have beat myself up about it afterwards. Had a good stiff drink and then laugh my ass off for reacting like that, yeah. Think badly of myself, no." Tony came the rest of the way into the small room and sat down on the edge of the bed as though he belonged there. "Don't glare at me, Bambi. I know there's a difference between what we went through and a big one. I hadn't given up hope before I was captured and I didn't go through the same extent of torture I think you suffered. I always had hope and I always had a chance, a small one, but it was there."

"You know nothing, Tony," he said, but even he could hear that there was no conviction in his words.

"I know you'd given up on ever being accepted by Asgard and more importantly by your father…Odin. I know you thought maybe you deserved to be tortured, that you deserved to die. But you know what? In spite of all that, you rallied. You decided that the rest of the Nine Realms didn't deserve to die because of you. You fought that son of a bitch in ways he couldn't even imagine. And you won. You _fucking won_, Loki. And you're going to win again; _we're _going to win again. Don't you ever doubt it, you understand me?"

"You don't…" his voice broke and he stared at the man, horrified as unwelcome tears forced their way out.

"Yeah, Lokes, I do," Tony said and Loki felt warm muscled arms pull him close as the pain he'd held onto for too long broke free. "We've got you, Loki. I promise. We've got you and you've got us."

… …

If anybody had told him he'd end up comforting a sobbing god, not to mention a sobbing _male_ god, and on top of that, said sobbing male god being the one that had thrown him out of his own goddamn window, he'd have had them committed. Yet here he was, arms full of Thor's brother, his Black Sabbath tee shirt rapidly becoming soaked with tears. But you know what? It was okay. Loki's face was pressed into his shoulder and Kara was rubbing Loki's back soothingly. Tony just held on as tightly as he could and hoped that Loki wouldn't accidently crush his ribs or something more important before he got some of that buried pain out of his system. "It's okay, bud," he crooned as tremors racked the god's body. "Just let it out, you'll feel a hell of a lot better, I promise."

"Did you?" Loki asked in a hoarse voice.

"I cried all over Pepper after the Ivan incident. She was pretty cool with it. You know, she went to counseling for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because I was a stupid ass and refused to. God, I love that woman." His shirt didn't seem to be getting any wetter, but Loki was still shaking. He continued to hold him tight. "Yeah, I felt a lot better after that. Not totally, but I could deal with the day to day."

"Until I came here."

"And using just your wits, kicked Titan butt. It's all good."

Loki's sigh was deep, but the shaking had calmed down a hell of a lot. And yeah, the tears had stopped. "It's not all good, but…it will get better."

"Definitely. You're not alone in this Lokes. We're a team, and we stick with our teammates; even the ones that are total pains in the ass like the Boy Scout."

A bright green eye stared up at him, just a hint of humor easing into it. "Hmm, and here I thought you were the resident pain in the ass."

"Now is that any way to treat the guy whose shirt you've ruined and whose ribs you've damn near crushed?" he asked in a mock-wounded tone.

Loki huffed in amusement as he sat up. "It's not ruined, just wet. And Tony? Thank you."

"You're welcome. Anytime and I mean that, 'k?"

"Okay."

… …

Thor dismounted and dropped the reins of his stallion. Asgard's resident magic users were going in and out of the Observatory at measured intervals. The last time he'd stopped by, it had been explained that each would go in, cast their part of the magic, and then exit. The Grand Vizier was seated in a chair that had been brought for him. The other sorcerers and sorceresses were making themselves comfortable on the shimmering surface of the repaired portion of the Bifröst between rounds. "Are we any closer, sir?" he asked the elderly sorcerer with the respectful half bow one gave to a venerable.

"Indeed. The power connects with greater ease. I have confidence that your mortals will soon be able to adjust their efforts to match what is needed."

He couldn't help the proud grin. His faith in Jane Foster, Erik Selvig and Loki would soon be borne out and all of the Nine Realms would see what cooperation with Midgard could accomplish. "Your plan was excellent," a throaty voice purred in his ear. He glanced down at Amora's blonde tresses as she took an unwelcome possessive hold on his arm. "You've made our work so much easier," she praised.

The sorceress, who preferred to call herself an enchantress for some foolish reason, was probably his least favorite woman in all of Asgard. She was much like a leech that could not be pried from the skin without the most serious of efforts. "Actually, my lady," he told her. "The plan was all Loki's." He hid a smirk at her sour expression. Amora hated being reminded that his brother had left her in the dust, magic-wise, centuries ago.

"But it is you that negotiated the cooperation of the guild," she told him in an attempt to recover from her mistake.

"I wish I could claim that credit, my lady. However, Lady Frigga is responsible for that effort. I was engaged in carrying diplomatic missives to Vanaheim at the time." Her eyes narrowed as he gently disentangled himself from her grip. "And now, if you'll all excuse me," he directed to the entire group. "I must return to the Valhöll."

He'd mounted Fastmundr, the many times great-grandson of the original stallion of that name, and was about to urge him forward when a many-voiced shout arose from near the Observatory. He turned in time to see a sorceress tumble out of the structure as the interior began to move. The tiny path that had been repaired with a cycle's worth of effort between the broken edge and the Observatory was widening and solidifying before his eyes. Mere moments passed as they all looked on in wonder and the Bifröst was restored to its former glory. "You have good news to take to the All-Father," Heimdall rumbled from the spot he held near the formerly shattered edge.

"I have more than that, old friend," Thor told him with a grin as Loki emerged from the Observatory. "It is good to see you, my brother!" he called out loudly.

"It's been but a fortnight, Thor. You cannot have missed me that much so soon," Loki grumbled, though he wore a slight smile.

He chuckled in appreciation of the easy teasing. "True. But mother has missed you terribly. Take a quick ride with me and say hello. You can deliver the good news."

"I'll do that. Midgard's representatives count this as work for them, so I do not violate the terms of my sentence to be here. We all felt that the testing of the path should be left to me since I could rescue myself easily enough should aught go amiss." Loki's smile faded and he stopped moving. "Oh. I was given my magic for the task and I'm not certain that it's proper for me to remain with it released."

"It was for a valid reason; I will vouch for it. Come, they will have felt the energies and are no doubt eagerly awaiting word." He held out a hand and waited as Loki shifted from his protective armor to an outfit appropriate for a ride to the Valhöll. "They've both missed you, brother."

Garbed more casually, Loki accepted his hand and used the stirrup he'd freed to mount behind him. "And I have missed both of them," Loki admitted as he twined his fingers through Thor's belt. "Let's go." Thor grinned widely and urged Fastmundr into a full gallop.

… …

The doors to their private sitting room swung open and Odin smiled, expecting Thor to stride in full of news about the power surge they'd felt from the Bifröst. His mouth opened in surprise when Loki entered instead. Recovering quickly he pushed up out of his seat and held his arms open for his younger son. Loki had hesitated for a moment when he'd seen his surprise, but smiled tentatively and crossed the room into his embrace. "Welcome home, son," Odin said warmly. "It is good to see you."

"Thank you father," Loki responded, sounding relieved. "I-We'd finished repairing the Bifröst and I was asked to test it, my powers had to be released to do so…"

"That's fine, Loki; perfectly acceptable. You and your Midgardian friends did an impressive job on the Bifröst; we'd feared it would take another full cycle to finish the repairs. Now, how goes your wedding plans? I hear the proposal was all that you'd hoped for." His son looked dazed; good. He did not want him dwelling on the reason the bridge had needed repair.

"We have left most of the details in the capable hands of Lady Pepper, Tony Stark's fiancée, and her assistants. Kara has chosen her dress and will be trying it on in a few days." He shrugged his lean shoulders. "Other than that, it goes along well, I suppose. You did receive the official invitation to the engagement ball?"

"Yes," Frigga said from her seat. Loki froze in his arms and then turned to her as she stood. "Do you not have a hug for your mother?"

The boy flushed and hurried over to her. "My apologies, mother. I-I was not sure of my welcome and…"

"None necessary, Loki; I saw how it was." Frigga accepted a hug and kiss on her cheek, then held him at arms-length to look him over. "You seem tired, what's been happening?"

He frowned lightly. "We've been working at the Gallisteo egress; the heat is taxing as much of the work must be done outside." Odin's eyes narrowed. It was partially true, but… "And, well, I had a bit of a shock yesterday. The S.H.I.E.L.D. director provided some mock ups of highly non-flammable material for Kara to practice using her fire upon. I was not aware of what was being provided and when the crate opened, I, well." The boy was staring at the ground, his expression embarrassed. "They'd made it look like the Mad Titan. The shock jarred loose some rather unpleasant memories. I did not handle it appropriately."

His lady glared at him and Odin hastened to respond. "That would be an appalling experience. At the very least I would have made a hasty retreat, and I have never had the displeasure of being that madman's captive."

Loki's expression lightened only slightly. "Father…I'm sorry. I froze and was overwhelmed by the fear that he was going to take Kara and harm her for what I had done. I-I lost consciousness."

Odin tried not to sigh aloud. No doubt Loki was feeling inadequate. "I do not know what my reaction would have been in your place, my son. I cannot even imagine that horror. I can only tell you that you are not responsible for a physical response to an extreme shock. You did not turn and run away or cower in fear; your body was overwhelmed and shut down. That is not a source of shame; it is simply something you will need to train yourself to overcome." He smiled at the incredulous look Loki gave him. "No, not so simple, I'm aware. But considering your position, that it's your duty to stand and protect both your lady and the world of her birth, it is something you must do."

"I know. My-my friends have agreed to move the thing around the complex when I'm otherwise occupied, so that I will see it unexpectedly; that should inure me to the shock of it. We are also going to incorporate it into training sessions so that I can build an appropriate automatic response to seeing it."

"That sounds like a wise plan, indeed. Now come, sit down and let us talk about what we're proposing for the treaty talks with the Jötnar."

Loki's green eyes widened. "You truly aren't ashamed of my reaction."

"Of course not. You are taking reasonable steps to counteract what the shock did to you; that is all that needs be said." Odin frowned. "Would it help to speak more of it?"

"Ah, no," he said hastily. "What I actually would speak about is a request. Do you still wish Dr. Banner to be here for the negotiations?"

"Yes, his help will prove invaluable."

"Might his lady accompany him? She has an advanced education in political science and would be a good advisor for him to explain the strategies of negotiation and whatnot."

"And very much wishes to see the Realm Eternal?" Odin guessed with an indulgent smile.

"Ah, well…she is also the public relations social media specialist for the Avengers and it would behoove her to know more of…"

"Enough, son. Yes, she may accompany him. We do need to build strong relations with Midgard and our people must learn to welcome their visits. This will be a good opportunity for us as well."

"Are they strongly involved, Loki?" Frigga asked, trying to be tactful.

Loki smirked. "Yes, mother. You may house them in the same chambers. The plan is to send them here after the engagement ball, if that would suit?"

Odin nodded. "We are scheduling the negotiations around the event dates; that would be fine."

"I shall be attending the ball, son," Frigga told Loki. "Your father cannot be away for both the ball and the wedding, but agreed I should represent him. Do I need Midgardian dress?"

"Ah, no. Since we are using this as part of the public relations effort, anyone from another Realm should wear the formal garb of that realm. Speaking of which, I'd like to request a new formal gown for Kara, if I might."

Odin smiled at Frigga's mischievous expression. "I've already taken the liberty of ordering an Asgardian wardrobe for her," she said. "I know she will have little occasion to use it for some time, but wanted it to be available to her for visits. It will be a simple matter to move a formal gown to the top of the list. I'm so excited for her! Is she truly happy to be having all of the celebrations?"

"Her excitement comes and goes, I suppose. Once the less formal parties given and attended by her friends begin, she will be very happy, I think. I do know she is more than pleased with me for arranging it. Which reminds me; I need to gift Stark and Lady Pepper with something appropriate. This is their doing, but finding something worthy is difficult. The man is quite wealthy and generally buys anything that catches his eye or that of his lady."

"I'll think on, Loki," Frigga promised.

… …

Loki had returned with Hogun and Fandral in tow. Maria Hill was going to have a total hissy fit, but Loki was practically exuberant. "I take it you had a good visit?" she asked once the others had gone ahead.

"Yes. I spoke with my father. Well, I spoke with both mother and father, but…I told him what happened." He frowned for a moment and then gave her a relieved smile. "He truly seemed to understand and he actually took the time to reassure me that I was doing well, that I had not failed him in any way with my reaction."

"Good, then I don't have to kick his ass the next time I see him."

"Kara."

She smiled and pushed up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "I'm kidding. If he'd been a jerk about it, we would have had words, but that's it. I'll let your mom do the physical ass-kicking where he's concerned; she wouldn't get in the kind of trouble I would."

"You are incorrigible."

"Yeah, but don't you love that about me?"

"Definitely. Why are you in armor?" he asked as they walked back toward the compound.

"I was just trying to turn that freaky target dummy into a pile of ash."

"Trying?"

She sighed. "I barely warmed it up. Tony got hold of some wireless monitors and stuck the sensors deep inside. The temperature's changing, but not anywhere near enough to ignite. I don't know if it's because I'm not angry enough or because I know it's just a dummy, or what."

He stopped and stared at the rise where blast shields had been erected. "You didn't have to be angry at that salvage. Come, let's try again."

"There was fuel in the salvage, that's why it blew," she reminded him as she broke into a slight jog to keep up with his longer strides.

"Yes, but Banner and Stark determined you'd changed the composition of the metal and that's why the metal weakened so much as to allow it to explode. It was also burning from the inside out…the metal itself, not the overall piece of equipment."

"I guess."

They stopped behind the blast shield and he frowned down at her. "Do not guess. Know. You must know that you can control it." His eyes narrowed. "Ah, healer," he continued with a slight smile. "Heal thyself. You are angry and you're afraid because of what he did to me. You're far too emotional and overthinking instead of simply doing."

"You always think carefully about your sorcery."

"Yes, because that is a science. What you have is an elemental force; you either leash it or unleash it. Don't think so hard about it."

"Oh, come on. That's totally the opposite of what you guys all told me before."

Loki sighed. "No. What we spoke of before is how fully you released the power or how little of it you released. You're trying to control how you affect the molecules of the target, not how much power you release."

Kara frowned as she thought about it. "Okay, but Tony thought I'd need to do a lot more change to the molecules of this because the components aren't readily flammable."

He folded his arms across his chest and stared out at the target. She could feel the churning of his emotions though his expression remained detached. "How did you feel when you found me in Central Park, my life bleeding out on the grass?"

"Horrified. The fact that anyone could do such a thing to another person, regardless of who they were horrified me and infuriated me."

"That is the thing responsible. Give it your fury."

Kara turned to stare at the target that bore the face of the Mad Titan. She remembered her first in-person sight of Loki, blood pouring out of his mouth, ribs shattered, one leg bent in an impossible position, expecting to die. She had been able to feel the horrific pain and the hopelessness that suffused him. The fury boiled over and she directed it at the target. Nothing happened. "Shit."

Loki wrapped his arms around her. "It's all right, love. We'll figure it out." Fighting back tears of frustration, she turned into his embrace and pressed her face into his tunic.

"Kara? Was that you?" She straightened as Tony's voice came over the communicator in her ear.

"Was what me, Tony?"

"The sensors I stuck in the MTD went crazy. I'm on my way out there."

… …

"What did he say about the monitors?" Loki asked. "It was too muffled."

His lady frowned at him. "The whole purpose behind an in the ear receiver is so that other people don't hear it."

"I'm not other people, I'm a god." He held a superior expression until she smacked him lightly on the chest and then chuckled. "Seriously, love. What did he say?"

"We didn't see any change, but the monitors Tony hooked up went off. Something happened."

"Something big," Tony told them as he jogged up the rise. "They didn't just go off, they went off the dial." The mortal's eyes narrowed as he looked out at the target. "Hey, it's listing to the side." As they turned to watch, the target slowly toppled over. "Brucie baby," Tony said after tapping his communicator. "The spikes still happening, or has it dropped back down?

Kara pulled her communicator out of her ear and set it to speaker. "It's still spiking," Bruce said.

"But I'm not sending anything to it anymore," Kara told them.

Tony frowned at her. "What do you think, Lokes? Chain reaction?"

"I don't know the composition of your target, so I hesitate to speculate."

"Guys?" Bruce said from over the link. "If you're not behind the blast shield you need…"

"Down!" Loki pushed Kara and Tony to the ground and manifested a shield around the three of them as the target exploded violently.


	63. Chapter 63

Loki grunted with effort as flaming debris impacted his hastily erected magical shield. Thank the Nine that Kara hadn't bound his power before they'd headed over here. When the impacts stopped, he peered up through the glowing greenish construct and saw one of the blast shields lying partially atop them. "That didn't help much," he muttered.

Tony was flat on his back underneath him, his dark eyes wide and staring. "I think I'm down to five now, or maybe four. I should probably retire."

"Five or four what?"

"Lives, Loki. He's talking about having too many close calls. But Tony, you're not the cat, remember? You don't get nine lives."

Stark sat up as Loki pushed back with his power and sent the toppled blast shields tumbling backwards. Kara crawled out from under the genius. "Sure I am. Loki and I are the cats, you're the, uh…canine."

"You compared my lady to a dog, Stark?" he asked quietly.

"Ah, no-oo; she did. I just didn't argue with her excessively."

"That's because you were freaked out that I was in bed with Loki."

"Well, duh. You were wrapped up in his arms as though you were already lovers." Stark held up a hand as he glowered at the man. "Easy pal; we didn't know what had gone down then. So far as we knew, you were still hell bent on ruling Earth."

Loki sighed heavily. "I'll let it slide. Now, are you all right?"

"Um, yeah; why aren't you asking her first?"

"Kara's more durable than you are and she's in her armor."

"Sure, pick on the mortal," Tony groused. Loki frowned at him. "I'm kidding, I'm just kind of shaky and that's my way of dealing with it. Why the hell did it blow like that? None of the components or the combination of them should have reacted that way."

"I don't know. You're the mechanical genius, not I."

"Guess I'd better start collecting samples."

… …

Crews were extinguishing the flaming debris that was scattered around the compound. Fortunately, everyone else had already gone indoors for dinner; the only casualty was one of the monitors that still sat out by the egress. "Wow, what a mess," Kara told Loki as they headed back to the residential building after checking on the damage. "Fury is going to have a cow when he gets the report."

Loki shrugged carelessly. "It is only property. What value has it against the lives you might save should you be able to destroy the Mad Titan?"

She smiled and shook her head. "You need to be the one to tell him that. He's still all over your ant and boot comment."

"Humph. That was what the enemy had tried to force me to think. I had to say such things so that they might believe their persuasion worked." One corner of his mouth curved up. "Of course, they are only mortal lives and should not be given all that much consequence."

"Loki…" she grated.

"You're not reading me."

"Yes, I am, but they can't," she explained, directing his attention to a few agents and support staff members who were standing nearby staring at them uneasily. Jasper Sitwell was glaring outright; no doubt he was already planning his call to Nick Fury.

"Ah." Loki stopped and looked at Jasper. "I was but teasing my lady; I'd forgotten the rest of you cannot feel my mischief the way she does."

"You don't honestly think that I'll believe you consider our lives to be anywhere near as valuable as your people's do you?"

"No. But it's…ah, apples and oranges. One cannot truly be compared to the other. I'm not condoning the loss of any life, but I'd grieve far less deeply for most of your teeming masses than I would for a similar number of deaths in Asgard."

"Loki, tell the man that it would also mean a much higher percentage of the population, that's important."

"Is it?"

"You're trying to make him angry now, knock it off. Jasper, Earth has about seven-hundred thousand times more people than Asgard; so if they lose one person, it's like us losing seven-hundred thousand people. They're not going to get as worked up about even thousands of deaths here as they would for only a few there. It's the scale."

"Yes, the director did say something about that in a briefing. I have to tell you, though; it still rankles."

"If you don't wish it to rankle, don't demand I address the issue. I've no wish to be considered callous…or wait; never mind, yes, I do."

"Loki, now you're just being an ass." She groaned as he stared her down. "Sorry, Jasper, he's in a mood."

"Something went terribly wrong, Kara; our friends could well have died. Yes, I'm in a _mood_," Loki snapped.

Jasper looked at her and nodded then turned to Loki. "I can understand that, sir. I'll see if there's anything our people can do to help Stark and Banner figure out what went wrong so that it can be prevented from happening again." He turned and headed for the command building.

"Thank you, Agent," Loki said to his back. Sitwell raised a hand in acknowledgment.

"Loki?"

"Not now, Kara. Go change and get some dinner. I need some time alone."

… …

Bruce looked up from the electron microscope as Kara entered their lab. "Where's your shadow?" he asked playfully.

"Off brooding."

"What's he brooding about?" Tony asked. "I'm the one who could have gotten killed."

Bruce ducked his head to hide his smile. "Uh, Tony? You just answered your own question."

"He's right," Kara agreed. "It's funny, Loki was worried about how I'd feel watching all of you eventually grow old and die. He's starting to realize that it isn't going to be any picnic for him either."

"Jarvis?" Tony directed at the tablet he'd set up to connect to his main processors back in the Tower. "Add finding a cure to aging to my to-do list. In fact, put it at the top."

"Yes, sir," the AI said in his trademark dry tone.

"There, no problem. I'll get it handled."

Kara sighed and sat down on a bench. "It's not funny, Tony. You guys are his friends now. He hasn't had anyone at all to care about him or for him to care about outside of Thor and his mom for so long that he's never had to deal with the possibility of loss before. Now he does and those people he cares about are a lot more fragile and short-lived in general than he'd like. He's going to have to come to terms with it."

"It's not just that," Bruce decided to add. "He's not used to making friends. I think he might be concerned that once we're all gone he won't have any again. Well, he'll have you, but that's not the same thing."

"Exactly. He doesn't know how to make friends; to him it's some kind of miracle that he probably doubts he's ever going to be able to duplicate."

"Oh, come on; Bambi isn't that stupid." Tony picked up the piece of debris he'd been analyzing and then set it down again. "Ah hell, about relationships he is. Okay, we're just going to have to teach him otherwise. You're welcome. Next problem?"

"If it's any comfort, Kara, I'll be around for a while. I, uh, I've noticed that my aging has, well, slowed."

"What?" Tony barked.

"My cellular degeneration is no longer as evident as a normal human, Tony. I'm probably going to live a long time." He shrugged. "That's another reason I'm still kind of waffling about a relationship with Darcy. Eventually she's going to catch up to me in physical age and then, well, it won't be a happy time."

"You're what, Bruce? Not quite forty?" Kara guessed.

"Forty-eight. I got hit with the gamma radiation when I was forty. I still look the same."

"Cool. Well, not so much considering the crap you have to deal with otherwise, but you know what I mean."

He managed a wry smile. "Yes, I do."

"Hell," Tony groused. "Cap may have an extended life span, possibly Romanov as well. Only Barton and I are going to crap out on you guys. Too bad there's no truth to that eat the golden apple and become immortal myth."

"Apparently that golden mist was made from one of those apples, Tony," Kara told him. "The problem is that the change could every bit as easily kill a normal human as change them to Æsir. The only reason Loki didn't have a fit when Odin offered it to me was because he knew Eir wouldn't have been a part of the process if she wasn't certain I could survive it with my enhanced nervous system."

"Jarvis? Any ideas on where I can find the fountain of youth?"

"No, sir."

"Damn. Oh well, you'll still have Bruce and you might be stuck with Captain Perfect."

… …

Kara was lying on the bed in her underpants when Loki finally returned. "Is it hotter here than when I left, or is it just the contrast between the realms?" he asked.

"It's much hotter. Your ward on the tank is still working, it's just that the outside temperature broke all records and this system can't keep up with it even with the boost from the slush in the tank."

"Hmm. I suppose it's manageable for sleeping, but not for much else."

"Does the heat affect you more or less if you're in your Jötunn form?"

"Much more. It would be exceedingly unwise to go outdoors with it in this heat except in an emergency, and I cannot imagine any emergency that would make it worth the effort."

"And in here?"

"Not particularly comfortable, but manageable for an hour or so, why?"

"Never mind, you're uncomfortable enough."

He stared at her for a moment then his expression cleared. "Ah. Tempting, though." His eyes narrowed as he considered the idea. "You know, if I changed forms, I could freeze the walls which would cool the room a great deal. It would melt fairly quickly, but…"

She grinned at him. "We'd have to explain how the floor got flooded."

"No, we'll just feign innocence."

"I'm not any good at that."

"Then you simply say 'it would be TMI'…that is the phrase, yes?"

Kara laughed at his smirk. "You know very well that it is the phrase. You're just being silly."

"Never. Devious perhaps. Now; does my lady wish a rather chilly lover this night?"

"Absolutely." She watched eagerly as he stripped, shifted forms and then laid his hands on each wall in turn. They frosted over and the room temperature dropped a good twenty degrees in a few short minutes. "You're beautiful like this," she whispered as he came back to the bed and hovered over her lips.

"You think me beautiful in my Æsir form."

"Well, yes." She frowned thoughtfully. "It's a different kind of beautiful. Doesn't matter, you're just gorgeous no matter what."

Loki closed the distance between them, ravaged her mouth briefly and then pulled back. "Your energy levels are good?"

"Yes. I wouldn't have suggested this otherwise." She smiled as his now icy lips ghosted over the pulse in her neck. "Do you have any idea how much I wanted you like this the whole time we were in Jötunheim? It was all I could think about."

"Your energy wouldn't have lasted long enough, love. You were already fighting to counteract the cold of the environment."

She shrugged. "That doesn't mean I wasn't craving you anyway."

He slipped her panties off of her hips and held up the scrap of fabric. "Hmm, your arousal freezes when it's separated from your body. Interesting."

"Loki!"

Laughing, he tossed them aside and grabbed her hips, pulling her hot center up to his mouth. She shivered as his tongue stroked deep in her cleft and arched her back as he flicked the eager nub of nerves. He didn't spend as much time as usual on it; he knew she could only take his cold for so long. His tongue dipped into her canal and she squealed at the sensation. "I love how you taste; so hot, sweet and salty, all at once." She bucked at his words and felt her fluids gush out into his waiting mouth. He moaned as he drank them down, that cold smooth tongue lashing her hot flesh and making her shudder.

"Loki, please," she gasped as he pulled back.

"Please what, my love?" He pushed her thighs back and guided her hands to hold them in place. The less physical contact they had, the longer she could maintain her body heat. Kara groaned as he slid his erection into her dripping sex, the ridges on the cold hard silky flesh making her shudder. "Is this what my beloved needs?" He reached between her widespread thighs and captured her nipples between frigid thumbs and forefingers then twisted them sharply; she shrieked in reaction. "Yes, love, come for me." He began to pound deep inside her and she gasped as the coldness fought her heat. Another orgasm rippled through her and this one didn't want to end.

Tremors shook her body in waves as her entire nervous system lit up with sensation. Kara screamed with the pleasure of it; some small portion of her mind tried and failed to remember if Loki had soundproofed their room this time. It didn't matter. She could no more stay quiet than she could stay still. Words spilled from Loki's mouth in quick succession, most of them didn't register, but the ones she remembered were full of love and praise. Just as her orgasm finally started to fade, Loki began to come. The cool cum filling her triggered an even more violent orgasm and she sobbed his name over and over. "So perfect for me, Loki," she finally breathed out with a sigh.

… …

Another Quinjet was landing. Loki stepped out of the dining hall to see who or what had arrived. He'd had quite a start earlier in the morning when he'd left the residential building and come face to face with one of what Tony had dubbed the MTDs for Mad Titan Dummies. He really was not in the mood for any further surprises this day. Fury's bald head ducking under the edge of the aircraft as he came down the ramp wasn't much of a surprise. "Good morning," the director called out in a civil tone. Now that; that was surprising.

"And to you director," Loki responded after glancing around to be certain the man wasn't addressing someone else.

"I hear we had another unexpected explosion. Please tell me my people didn't mess up again."

"Not that we're aware. Stark and Banner are still examining the remains of the target to determine why it reacted in that manner."

"Good. Nice reflexes, by the way. I saw the security feed. We're going to need to bury the bottom edge of the blast shields and maybe brace them in a concrete base for stability before Hellbringer makes another attempt."

"Agent Sitwell suggested such. Rogers, Barton and Romanov are out in a jeep looking for a suitable testing site a bit further from the compound and from the Bifröst egress to provide more safety." Loki frowned. He was having a civil discussion with Fury. This was more than passing strange.

"Excellent plan."

Loki decided he was tired of waiting for the mortal to come to his point. "I'm certain you did not come here just to discuss the latest training mishap, director. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to the purpose of your visit?"

"You and Stark have become close, correct?"

"No, I will not tell him to turn over his suit technology to you."

Fury blinked. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has no current issue with Stark retaining his own suit technology. We're not the military, Loki." The mortal stared at the ground for a moment. "We're concerned about his health."

Now that was another surprise. "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. He's funding the Avengers, and seems to be the glue, oddly enough, that's holding them all together. He's providing energy technology to the entire world and that technology is improving on what seems to be a daily basis. Do you have any idea what his innovations will mean to Earth?"

"Yes, actually."

"Good. Look, I'm not too stubborn to admit that we need him. What we do not need is him dying young because of his drinking binges."

"He hasn't been obviously drunk since I returned from my latest sojourn with our mutual enemy; well, other than at my wedding feast."

"Yes, but the damage was already done. The latest physical he consented to showed that he is developing cirrhosis of the liver, easily a fatal disease. The only means we have to stop the condition from worsening is a complete avoidance of alcohol. Do you see Stark agreeing to that?"

Loki swallowed heavily. "No. Is there naught else that can be done?"

"Once the liver fails, a liver transplant would prolong his life. That assumes a compatible donor can be found." Fury grimaced. "Even with his money, that's not always a sure thing and it would put the Iron Man out of commission, probably permanently. Obviously Asgard's medical capabilities are far beyond ours. Is there anything Asgard's healers can do for him?"

He stared at the director, still fighting shock. His friend, the one who had helped him win his lady despite his better judgment, who had stood for him in Asgard, who had helped him utterly destroy one of his tormentors, who had…he wouldn't go there…could die decades before he should have to. "I think it is more a matter of will rather than can." Holding up a hand as Fury began to speak he shook his head. "I-I will ask. It helps that they hold him in esteem. How much time have we?"

"He's in the early stages, barely even exhibiting any symptoms, so there's a good amount of time yet. I'll send you a list of things to watch for and the physicians' reports. Discuss it with Ms. Anderson since she'll be the team's personal physician."

Nodding, he turned away and then stopped. "Do you have friends, director?"

"A few."

He waited until the man came abreast of him. "Are any of them within your organization?" he asked. Fury simply nodded. "How do you handle it? You know they can die at any time, even from small things. How do you live with that knowledge?"

The mortal sighed. "You treasure the moments you do have with them. When you lose one, you grieve, but you go on for them. You know that they would not want you to wallow, that they would want you to continue on living the life that they had been a part of. So, you carry on in their honor."

"It's painful."

"Yes, it is. The pain of grief is the price we know that we will eventually pay for love, whether romantic or the love of a friend; and it makes that love all the more precious while we have it."

"I've learned that lesson; I've no desire to be taught it again." He bit back a sigh. "I'll speak to my mother when she arrives for the engagement ball. We owe a debt to Tony Stark. Perhaps she'll agree that this is a way it might be paid."

… …

"She did it. She fucking did it!" Tony crowed as he stared at the magnified piece of what had originally been tantalum.

"Care to share?" his science bro asked from where he was hunched over another piece of debris.

"She changed the molecular composition of the tantalum, made it unstable and made the son of a bitch blow sky high."

"You know what this means?"

"Shit. We've got to replace the tantalum with as many different non-flammable elements as we can to see if it's just the tantalum or if she can do it with anything."

Brucie boy nodded agreement. "And ask Loki if Asgard can provide anything to work with as well."

"And the elf. Keebler's got to be good for something besides frustrating the amazon."

A quiet chuckle agreed with him. "He is good at that. Who's running the pool on their eventual, uh, combustion?"

"Loki. I know, I know," he said hastily. "He says he can't in good conscience participate since he's one of the factors that will affect the timing so he might as well have the fun of holding and monitoring the bets."

"Nice to know his conscience extends to wagers. I've got to get in on that one."

"Uh huh. So, do you want to know what the pool is on you and Ms. Taser-tricks?"

"Not really."

"Fine, spoil my fun," he mumbled as he stared at a piece of the aerogel. "Wow. Did you look at the silica aerogel yet?"

"Looking at it now; I've never seen anything like it." Bruce straightened looking thoughtful. Tony knew that look; he wore it himself when an idea was dawning. "Can you imagine what this could do for the housing insulation industry if it's retained those properties?"

"I'm thinking you could use it as the actual construction material for the home and not have to add insulation. Probably wouldn't hold up well for more than a two or three story building, but for residential properties? This could be the next big thing if we can find an inexpensive way to duplicate it."

"I'll see if we have enough of it to send out for full testing."

"You sure that you don't want to know what the pool is about?" Tony grinned at Banner's sour look.

"Positive. I've got enough problems, okay?"

"Spoilsport."

… …

Kara stood behind the blast shield with Loki and Tony. They were all in full armor and she'd released Loki's magic just in case. A third twelve by eight foot screen had been added and they'd all been turned on their narrow end and embedded over two feet deep in the ground and another foot was covered by a concrete and steel base. Loki had ordered everyone else to remain back at the compound, over a quarter mile away from the new testing site. "Okay, I'm going to go for it," she told them. Tony nodded and flipped his faceplate closed. Loki gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Staring at the MTD, she concentrated on payback and let loose. Nothing happened. "Well, shit."

"Wait for it," Tony told her. "Yep, the sensors are starting to go nuts." He leaned back against the blast shield and braced the servos in his suit. "Holy shit, here it comes."

She and Loki watched as the MTD started to list to one side, just as it had before, and she reflexively ducked as it exploded violently. Debris hit the shield and she and Loki pushed against it as it leaned towards them in spite of the bracing Iron Man provided.

"Damnation," Loki hissed as he pulled his hands away and then used his power to brace it instead.

"Why's the shield heating up?" she asked Tony as she hastily adjusted her body temperature to avoid being boiled inside her armor then let it normalize as the rain of debris ended and the shield stopped leaning.

"Don't know, maybe we're too close to the center of the blast. Jarvis, you want to run the numbers on that?"

"Yes sir."

… …

"How are you handling the reporting?" Loki asked him as they all sat around a conference table discussing their next steps.

"I'm lying through my teeth," Nick told the god of such things in all seriousness. "The reports are claiming that you are testing properties of a last ditch magical defensive shield by intentionally blowing things up. No reference is made into how these things are being blown up."

The god's eyes brightened and his mouth stretched into a grin. "A strong element of truth buried in the misdirection; very good technique. I'm impressed."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The god of pain in the assery nodded in agreement. "I've vetted all of the staff here personally; we won't have any contradictory reports being filed behind our backs. The first three of the altered MTDs should be here tomorrow. The rest are going to take a while, not all of the elements on Stark and Banner's list are as readily available."

"Not much more we can do here in the meantime," Rogers commented. "We should head back to New York. Won't the off-realm guests for the engagement ball be arriving soon?"

"Day after tomorrow, if all goes according to the schedule I was given before I returned," Loki agreed.

"Ambassador Haakun has arranged lodging and activities for the visitors," Prince Nyvorlas contributed, looking glum for some reason. "I'm not certain my queen will approve of any of it, but then, she rarely approves of anything these days."

More family issues. What was it with the damned virtually immortal races? "Do any of you not have serious family issues?" he asked before he could stop himself.

The three Æsir, Loki and the damned elf all looked thoughtful. "No," Fandral finally answered for them. Perhaps it is a matter of having too much time with them?"

"Familiarity breeds contempt," Kara interjected. The off-realm members of the group all frowned at her. "It's a Midgard saying. If you don't nurture your relationships and value them, they eventually go sour. I can see that easily happening if you've got thousands of years to deal with. Hell, we manage it with only a few decades."

"They," Loki said quietly.

"I've been mortal and a citizen of Earth for twenty-eight years, Loki. It's going to be a while before I stop thinking of myself as one of them."

He shrugged and then smirked as she flashed him an irritated look. "I do understand that they will always hold a special place in your heart, my lady."

"Nice save."

Loki chuckled and sat back looking insufferably pleased with himself. Though thinking about it, Nick realized that was the god's normal expression. He'd bet it was cultivated just for the irritation factor. "Loki, who's going to be watching the store while the VIPs are here?" he asked.

"Odin will remain on Asgard for this one. The other dignitaries will have chancellors or designated heirs that they trust sitting in for them."

"And for the wedding?"

"Both of my parents plan to attend as will their heir. Haakun will return to Asgard. He, the head of the sorcerer's guild and Lord Heimdall will handle any issues that come up in their absence. The other realms have similar contingencies."

"My elder brother will remain in Ljósálfheim," Nyvorlas offered with a frown. "What will Helblindi do? Does he have an heir?"

Loki's normal smirk widened. "Yes, me. That's not terribly helpful in this situation, though. I imagine he'll appoint one of his shield brothers as regent in his absence."

Something about this was bothering Nick and he couldn't put his finger on it…oh. "Wait, are you talking about the Frost Giants?"

"We are."

"Isn't it going to be too warm for them here?"

"It will. Father has prepared several amulets that will provide them with relief from the relatively hot temperatures. All of the visitors will travel to Asgard first and then from Asgard to Midgard with my mother and Thor. Kara and I will need to be here to greet them," he directed to Rogers. "Perhaps the rest of you should return to New York without us."

"Why don't I stay with Loki and Kara for the next two days?" Stark suggested. "We can test the three incoming MTDs, greet the guests and then come back to New York with them. I'll be able to do a preliminary examination of debris and then send samples on to Bruce for full analysis in our lab at Avengers' Tower."

Rogers nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me. Director?"

"Let's do it."

… …

"It is way too freaking hot for this," Kara complained as she pulled her blouse away from her skin.

"Imagine it from my perspective, love. I'm not particularly comfortable in your normal temperatures."

"Haakun should have had to greet them. Isn't that what ambassadors do?"

"Hush, younger members of royal families are always saddled with such responsibilities. Ask Nyvorlas."

"It's true. It's considered respectful. Of course, since the entire reason any of them are coming here is your engagement, it is doubly important that you greet them."

"Damn. Loki? Why couldn't you just be some random noble and not a prince?"

His eyebrow lifted. "Were I such, we would never have met. Please, Kara, just…ah…"

"Suck it up?" Tony suggested. Loki shook his head, that wasn't it. "Put on your big girl panties and deal?"

"That's the one," he agreed.

"Humph. Fine. Why doesn't Nyvorlas look overheated?"

The man in question looked smug. "I do not know. He is also used to much cooler temperatures." Loki concentrated as he looked his old friend over. "Ah. He's cheating."

"It is not cheating," he protested. "A ward against the heat is a legitimate means to remain comfortable."

"It is cheating because I cannot have my power released for so paltry a reason," Loki told him.

"Not my problem."

"Prat." Loki frowned at him. "Consider yourself on notice; revenge will be sweet." He smirked at the Ljósálfar's uneasy frown. "And no, I have not forgotten my promise. I'll find another means of…inconveniencing you."

"Hmm, looks like somebody's sweet on Sif," Kara said. "Considering she looks suspiciously comfortable, that is."

A flush rode high on Nyvorlas' already high cheekbones and Sif had turned to stare at her erstwhile suitor. Oh, this was too good. "Hmm. Yes, that ward has been extended to Lady Sif. How…interesting." The portal from Asgard began to open, cutting off any further discussion. Loki winked at Kara and settled her hand on his arm. "Very timely observation." She grinned in response. Yes, his sweet lady had done it a purpose. The figures of their guests were appearing. Helblindi and Gymir stood behind Thor and Frigga. The two Jötnar were wearing their normal lack of garb with the addition of a wrap that draped over one shoulder. Chains holding the promised amulets hung from their necks. Both squinted in the still bright sun. "Perhaps we should have scheduled this for later in the day. I'd forgotten their eyes would be sensitive to direct sunlight."

"I don't think we're going to find sunglasses that will fit them."

"No."

Tony was nudging him. He frowned at the mortal who leaned close and whispered in his ear. "They're a lot bigger than I remember."

"You've only been this close to them when you were drunk."

"Oh. Right."

Loki choked back a laugh at Tony's chagrined expression as the genius stepped back then tugged Kara along with him as he stepped forward. "Welcome, family and friends, to the Realm of Midgard." Kara joined him in the slight bow called for by the occasion.

… …

Thor grinned and stepped forward to gather them both in a hug. Certainly he had just seen his brother a few short days ago, but it had been weeks since he'd seen his new sister. At the last minute he remembered to temper his strength. "I, for one, am glad to be here and for such a joyous occasion," he announced.

Kara was smiling, for once not looking pained. "You remembered," she whispered.

"Aye, for once." He released them and was quickly replaced by his mother.

"Kara, my dear. You look a bit wilted," Frigga began and then frowned. "Oh, it is exceedingly warm here."

"Record breaking temperatures. If we can move everyone inside for introductions and greetings, I'm sure we'll all be more comfortable," Kara agreed. The gathered visitors indicated their acquiescence and followed the pair to the nearby compound.

They crossed a rise and the entire group came to a shocked halt. A large purplish figure stood next to one of the buildings. It wasn't moving, but looked quite alive. "Oh for pity's sake," Kara grumbled. "Nick! What are you trying to do? Give our guests heart failure?" She placed a hand on Loki's chest as his brother started forward. "Let me handle it," she said under her breath."Where did this come from?"

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury moved from behind the statue of the Mad Titan. "It just arrived; we were able to get it refitted with one of the rarer elements. I was just about to have it taken out to the target range."

"You should have left it in the shipping crate."

Nick reached them and shrugged. "I was expecting you to be involved in official greetings for another fifteen minutes or so, it would have been gone by then."

"Yes, well, it's too hot. We're going inside. Please get that out of here."

Thor watched as the group filed past the statue, each one eyeing it warily. "Is that the same statue you encountered when…" he began to ask his brother.

"Yes. I can attest that it is a very good likeness."

"It's not a statue, it's a practice target. We wanted everyone to know what the being they'd be facing looked like so we wouldn't have to deal with the element of surprise when the real thing finally shows up. We're putting them individually on a target range and I've been releasing Loki's power long enough for him and Prince Nyvorlas to ward the things with every kind of defense they can think of. Then we try to destroy it individually. It's really honing our destructive capabilities," Kara explained. "Our hope is that when the real Titan shows up we can combine our efforts and with all of us using all of our abilities at once we may be able to take him out."

"And have you succeeded in destroying any of these targets?" King Frey asked.

"Yes, this is the fourth one we've gotten in."

Consort Tolthe gave her a disdainful look. "And what might be the key?" the Ljósálfar asked.

"Well, the only real…"

"If we knew the key," Loki interrupted. "We could leave off with this foolishness." He shrugged as if it were of little import. "It's no matter. Obviously we cannot duplicate the Titan's defenses. All that we can do is see that we are as prepared as possible."

Thor held back as the others entered the building, Loki noticed and waited with him. "You do not trust Tolthe."

"I have never trusted Tolthe. He hates me, always has, always will. Queen Elénaril has a roving eye and it roved to me after the prank I pulled on him."

"Did you accept her advances?"

"No, but that made it worse. Not only did she favor me over him, my rejection of her was an insult in his eyes. He wasn't about to understand that a dalliance with my companions' mother was not appealing simply because she _was_ their mother."

Thor shifted uneasily. If the Ljósálfar Queen had been insulted…this could serve them ill. "Did she understand?" he asked.

Loki smiled. "Yes. I was quite honest with her and she knew it. Elénaril is neither blind nor foolish. She could tell that her beauty aroused me and she could read my consternation with that fact."

"Does she still arouse you, brother?"

"Not any longer. She is still a beautiful woman, but my appreciation of that beauty is more in the manner of appreciating a fine work of art. My tastes run more toward the lusty sensuality my lady embodies."

"Perhaps one day I will find a love who steals my eyes from all others."

"Hmm. Well, mother has not given up on the idea, so I should expect that you shall."

… …

More elves. And don't forget the blue Avatar rejects. Nick frowned as the idea of retirement surfaced yet again. But no, based on the reaction to the MTD, the threat was real and all of these powerful beings were wary of it. That wasn't good. Thor and Loki finally followed the others into the dining hall. Loki strode up to join him at the part of the room designated as the front when they used it for meetings. "My apologies for the lack of protocol," the god said to the group. "This area is experiencing greater than normal heat and it is rather vile. Might I perform some quick informal introductions? More formal greetings can be reserved for encounters with Midgard's government officials."

None of the gathering seemed unhappy with that idea. "It's good with us, too," he told Loki as he stood. "My name is Nick Fury. I am the director of a group called S.H.I.E.L.D., an international organization that coordinates military efforts in defense of this planet or Realm as I'm told you call it. We'll be seeing to your security while you are here. Acting as my deputy in that effort will be this gentleman, his title is Agent, and his name is Jasper Sitwell. He can be politely addressed either as Agent or as Agent Sitwell, your choice. My form of address is Director or Director Fury." He stepped back and nodded to Loki.

"Many of you have met my lady, Kara Gunnarssen. She is called Hellbringer as a member of a group of Midgard's mightiest heroes known as the Avengers. This is her honorary brother, Tony Stark, a founding member of that same group where he is called the Iron Man. I consider Tony family by marriage; I tell you this so that you will understand why I tolerate his overly familiar attitude. It is an indelible part of his personality; I hope you will honor my lady and me by tolerating it as well. You will all have an opportunity to meet the rest of the Avengers and their loved ones and support staff when we reach New York City."

Thor stood. "My sister by marriage, honorary brother by marriage, Director Fury, Agent Sitwell; I will introduce all of the royalty who have come, though Kara and Tony know many of them. "First, my mother, Queen Frigga of Asgard. Next, King Frey and Queen Freya of the Vanir, a sister-race of the Æsir. Queen Elénaril and her Lord Consort Tolthe of the Ljósálfar, mother and stepfather to Prince Nyvorlas. King Helblindi of the Jötnar who is my brother Loki's half-brother, and his shield brother and councilor Gymir. Alas, Queen Hel was not able to attend, nor were the Lord and Lady of the Dökkálfar. They send their regrets and do hope to be in attendance at your wedding."

Nick stepped forward. "On behalf of the governments of Earth, which you call Midgard, welcome. We will do everything in our power to make your visit an enjoyable one."


	64. Chapter 64

Kara had released his power to allow Loki to shift the two Jötnar directly to Avengers' Tower. The seats on the Quinjet wouldn't accommodate them and neither he nor Kara thought having them sit on the floor was a good idea. Eventually the cold would seep through it and damage circuits. Haakun and Pepper had overseen a refitting of the old gymnasium to a suite that would be comfortable for visitors from Jötunheim; it included what Clint Barton referred to as 'AC on steroids' and custom built oversized furniture. Amazing what could be accomplished quickly so long as one had sufficient riches. Kara had chosen to fly in with the other guests. Gods he was getting ridiculously attached to his lady; even this much of a separation chafed. "I believe you will be comfortable in here without wearing the amulets," he told Helblindi and Gymir.

They removed the amulets and set them down on a table. After a few moments they both grinned. "Good. After a while the magic itches," his half-brother remarked. "What is this AC sorcery the Hawkeye spoke of?"

"It's a form of technology; the science that is used on Midgard. Tony Stark is to technology what I am to sorcery."

"Ah, then he is formidable in its use."

"And its creation; he is a true genius in the field. And, as with most geniuses, he is beyond annoying," Loki informed them. Gymir snorted and turned away. "Yes, my friend. I am quite aware that also applies to me."

The giant gave him an intent look and then nodded. "So you do know me as a friend. Good."

"Within limits," he agreed. "Should I cross Helblindi I'm well aware we would become enemies. Fortunately I have no intention or desire to do so. I have come to value my family, both blood and by adoption. I do not wish to lose any of those that remain."

"Speaking of family," Helblindi began. "We need to discuss the succession. We do not have any other blood family on Jötunheim. Our father saw to that."

"Yes, I'd realized that I'm your only blood heir, at least until you have a family of your own. Though I'm surprised Býleistr didn't have any bastards."

"As was I; I didn't leave enough of him intact to determine whether that was intentional or not. I have had our healers examine me and I am fertile…I was concerned about it once we'd established that despite his…ways that I had no nieces or nephews about."

"Then you need to sire offspring and quickly. While your people might tolerate me as a regent, I doubt they'd welcome me on the throne in my own right, at least not for long, despite my mastery of the Casket."

"Agreed; I have chosen a bride and I wish you to attend the ceremony with your lady. It will be held the same week as my name day celebration so you shall not need to visit twice."

Loki smiled. "I have no issue with visiting as frequently as you and the All-Father allow. Kara won't mind either. She liked your people, on the whole."

"And you? You are the one who tried to destroy us."

"Brother, I've explained that. I was foolishly trying to deny my heritage. You know it is the one thing I've done that I regret all aspects of."

"That does not mean you like our people."

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. No, it did not. "True. But I did like many of your…our people. They are like any other; some more likable than others. And I greatly enjoyed the attitude of the children. Which reminds me, what are you doing in recompense for Býleistr's abuse of the girls?"

"Finding mates for them, if they want them…providing dowries and such. For those with no desire to marry, I have arranged for apprenticeships in the fields they wish to pursue." He shrugged. "There is little more I can do other than offer my apologies for the wrong done them and make it clear to my people that they are to be shown the same respect as a woman who was not so abused." His brother's blood red eyes glinted as he grinned. "And, I am making one of them my queen." Loki's eyebrows shot up involuntarily. "Her name is Skrikja; she is the girl who challenged me as to what I would do to right my treacherous brother's wrongs."

Loki smirked, he couldn't help it. A strong and no-nonsense young woman as he remembered. "She will be a fine queen, and will likely keep you well in line."

Helblindi's returning smile was wry. "That was the thought of my shield brothers as well. It does not hurt that she is more than easy on the eyes."

Loki shook his head smothering the urge to chuckle. Kara wouldn't care for that sentiment, though he was honest enough to admit that her beauty was one of the primary factors in his initial attraction to her. "If you value your manhood, never say that aloud again and certainly not within your or my lady's hearing."

… …

She did not like Tolthe, not one bit. The Ljósálfar Queen's consort was unbelievably smug and it was annoying the spit out of her that she couldn't figure out what he was being so smug about. Nyvorlas didn't seem to like him either, that reassured her that at least she wasn't being totally paranoid. They'd gotten everyone, the invited guests and their allowed one attendant each, on the three Quinjets provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. and she was about to board the one that held her mother-in-law, Sif, Nyvorlas, and the guests from Vanaheim. "Kara; is it just me or is that elf even more of an ass than Keebler?" Tony asked.

"It's not just you. Have Jarvis keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Already done, Thor's carrying a tablet and leaving it on. Hey, why do the king and queen of the Vanir look so much alike?" he asked.

"They're brother and sister."

"Huh? Eww. What is it with ancient gods and incest?"

"Tony, get your mind out of the gutter. They're not, uh, involved. Frey's wife is Jötnar of some variety and the Vanir won't accept her as their queen. Freya's husband is usually absent, I don't know why, so they've set it up so that she is the official queen and they handle all of the official duties together and their spouses are styled "King's Consort and Queen's Consort."

"Oh. Guess I missed that part of the briefing. Wait, what do you mean of _some _variety?"

"You were sitting _right there_," Kara griped and he gave her his should-be-patented innocent look. "Geez, Tony, you were off in your own little world, weren't you? You're too easily distracted, big brother. Look, there're different kinds of Jötnar; mostly when that term is used, they mean the Frost Giants, but it can apply to the Hill Giants that live in the more temperate regions of Jötunheim or even the Fire Giants, but don't quote me on that one. I'm not sure what kind Gerd is, though I'm thinking either the Hill variety or a mix since she's living comfortably in Vanaheim."

Her honorary brother grinned. "You know, my own little world is usually a lot more interesting than any meeting, though maybe not this time." He chuckled at her glare. "Okay, okay. I'll try to pay more attention."

"I won't hold my breath. Now are you flying solo or coming with us?"

"I am going to sacrifice my dignity and ride with Fury and all of the attendants to make sure they don't drive the pilots insane. Oh, and your mother-in-law slipped me this nifty little item, so if there's any gossip, I'll understand it."

Kara examined the amulet Tony pulled from under his shirt and nodded as he dropped it back down. "Nice. Pay close attention, then. If she gave you that it means she's positive something important is going to be said. Comprende?"

"Uh, genius."

"Uh, easily distracted."

"Damn."

… …

"I've brought you a few things," Frigga told her daughter by marriage as Kara sat down beside her.

"Oh?"

"Loki hoped you would continue to wear Asgardian garb at official events and thought you might like to have a selection of outfits to choose from."

"He's expressed that, uh, hope." Kara grinned mischievously. "Well, it was more of an order than a request, but we've straightened that out."

Frigga had to laugh. "Oh, my dear; you can blame that on his father. Odin still hasn't learned to phrase his wishes as requests rather than orders. When we're in public I cannot dispute him, but trust me, he hears about it and quite forcefully once we have privacy."

"Yeah, well, Loki apparently missed the forceful discussions. I didn't figure you would let it slide."

"Shall I have a word with him, Princess?" King Frey offered. "He sometimes heeds my advice."

"No, but thank you; it would embarrass him, I think."

"True enough. Though if I hear him do it, I will, in the interest of helping my fellow married man, share my hard learned wisdom with him. In fact, I shall take him aside for a man to man talk. Best I do it before his brother attempts it."

"It's traditional," Frigga told Kara as the girl's features scrunched up in confusion. "You and Loki missed out even on some of our traditions due to Odin's haste in getting the two of you settled."

"Oh. He missed out on some of our traditions too. The guys are planning on giving Loki a modified Bachelor party. Since most of the Avengers are in relationships Tony has sworn up and down that they'll skip the raunchier aspects. That means it will likely just include lots of drinking, a little food and a lot of bragging…and maybe the Ironettes Dancers."

"The what?" Frigga asked.

"They're a group of kind of athletic dancers that wear costumes in the colors of the Iron Man armor. They're pretty and do some suggestive moves, but they're covered and keep their clothes on…and their performance is strictly a stage show, no touching."

"Ah, the traditional farewell to the bliss of being single…without the bevy of loose women, then. Small loss; such cause more problems than the enjoyment of them is worth." Frey winced as his sister smacked the back of his head. "Leave off, Freya. You are worse than my wife."

"Gerd would do the same were she here and you well know it. I honor my brother's wife by acting in her stead."

"Shrews, the both of you."

"Truly, Frey?" Frigga scolded. "You are alone in a vessel full of powerful women and you say such?"

The burly god glanced around and then laughed boisterously. "You forget the Ljósálfar prince, my lady; though he is near as pretty as some women."

Nyvorlas sat up from where he'd had his seatback reclined out of her line of sight. How silly of her to have forgotten his maneuvering to avoid traveling with his mother. "Prettier than many," he agreed equably. But not than any here."

"And his words prettier than his face," Frey said, continuing to chuckle. "How is it that you have yet avoided matrimony, my boy?"

He shrugged. "It has taken this long to find a woman worth having. Being the youngest child and second son has its advantages; there has been no rush to marry me off for the succession and those families of note that want an alliance wish a marriage to one of my siblings closer in line to the throne." Frigga smiled at his wording. She hadn't mistaken his interest in Sif. Had the warrior even noticed? Ah, she did so love matchmaking. Perhaps she could help the boy along.

… …

Consort Tolthe was still complaining. Thor wasn't certain how his queen lived with such or why she'd bothered to bring him along. Queen Elénaril was very aware of the bad blood between her consort and Loki. One little prank…Thor swallowed his grin. Little indeed. Loki had cast an illusion making it appear that Tolthe's manhood had withered and since his sexual prowess was the sole reason he had won the queen's favor he'd been more than a bit…incensed. Still, it was centuries past; he should just let it go. "Are you listening to me, Odinson?" Tolthe demanded. Uh oh.

"My apologies, I was woolgathering, I'm afraid."

"Abiding with mortals has worsened your manners," the man grumbled.

"On the contrary; I'm far more considerate, ask the All-Father and Queen Frigga," he said evenly.

"I have found you to be much improved in courtesy, Prince Thor," Elénaril agreed. "Do these machines bother you as they do us?"

"It is more a mental unease than physical discomfort, your majesty. But it is truly distracting," he agreed, glad for the excuse she provided. "Again, I do apologize; what was it you wished of me, consort?"

"I asked why the mortals are willing to harbor your so-called brother like a viper in their midst. What does Asgard bribe them with?"

Thor stared at the true viper while struggling to rein in his temper. "Were you not privy to the discoveries made by the heroes of Midgard concerning Loki's actions? He saved them from a much harsher fate than they suffered with his intervention. They consider him a friend and you would be well advised to remember it. My brother, and there is naught so-called about that relationship, suffered greatly on behalf of all of the Nine Realms to stymy the Mad Titan in his quest to destroy us."

Tolthe returned his stare sullenly. Yes, he had obviously been told everything and chose to spew his venom anyway. "We shall see," was all the fool said.

"It does seem odd," Elénaril offered, trying to be conciliatory. "Loki was rarely one to do aught for others."

Thor shrugged. "He returned what was offered him. We did naught for him and often gave him grief. My father lied to him for all his life. It is little short of miraculous that when he was put to the test, he did not give us all up for glory and revenge."

"Your father lied to all of us," Tolthe said with a sneer. "We hosted a monster amongst our children."

"_My_ children," Elénaril reminded her consort. "I do not hold his bloodline against him. Frigga raised him to be gentle with those innocent of wrongdoing. My second youngest girl was quite devastated to learn he had wed."

"She's better off. Now it's simply one monster wedding another."

"That is _enough_, Tolthe. I will have silence from you until I bid otherwise," Elénaril finally snapped.

"My sister by marriage is a fine woman. Her power no more makes her a monster than mine does me," Thor retorted as mildly as he could manage.

"I'm certain she is, Thor," Elénaril soothed. "Your mother is terribly fond of her and I trust Frigga's judgment in such things."

"She is wise indeed about people, your majesty," Thor agreed as he fixed Tolthe with a brooding stare and wished he had half his mother's wisdom in such things. He shot a glance at Fandral and Hogun. They too seemed seriously disturbed by the exchange.

... …

"Why are we riding with the servants, Stark?" Fury asked before they boarded.

"You're a spy, right? Who is the best source of information anywhere?"

Old Scratch stared at him. "They aren't speaking in a language we can understand, that makes anything we overhear useless."

"Au contraire, mon ami; I can understand all of them perfectly. Your job is to keep me on task. Just remember; they can likely understand us so you can't be obvious about it."

"That…"

"I'll have my SI-Tablet out and I'll type a translation in." He handed tablets and ear buds to Fury and Sitwell. "I'll have Jarvis give it to you audibly. They all have better hearing than we do so the volume needs to be low. You can type in anything you want me specifically to concentrate on and I'll read it and we can go from there."

"You've actually thought this out. I'm impressed…for once."

"I always think things out, I just don't always go with the conventional conclusion." Tony grinned at Fury's longsuffering sigh. Yeah, Morpheus baiting was a blast. He tucked in ear buds of his own and typed a quick message to Jarvis. 'You with me, J?'

"Yes, sir," was the barely audible response.

'OK lets test this out Im skipping punctuation J is that OK'

"For the sake of accuracy, sir; I suggest the inclusion of punctuation and the avoidance of acronyms."

Damn. 'Okay, fine. Better, Miss Priss?'

"Much, sir."

Tony didn't remember programming Jarvis to be anywhere near this persnickety and he was pretty sure he was mostly sober when he'd done that programming. He'd need to work on that. 'Great. Let's test it. Mary had a little lamb; its fleece was black as Fury's eye patch.'

'STARK!'

Tony read the message sent from Fury's tablet and grinned. 'Looks like it's working.' He caught Sitwell fighting a smirk and counted it as a major victory in the Stark versus S.H.I.E.L.D. war.

… …

Pepper looked stunned. Yep, that was the word. Jane wasn't looking much more with it as they stared at the door to the outside deck where Loki and Bruce had taken the Jötnar to see the view. "I did tell them," Natasha told her.

Darcy nodded agreement. "You did, but, well…you left out important descriptive words like 'scary as all fuck'."

Natasha smirked at her. "I don't find them scary as all fuck."

"Yeah, but they're not warm and fuzzy like the Avatar characters either. Come on, Nat. Look at their teeth, they're pretty damn scary."

The redhead shrugged. "They look like Loki only taller and with slightly sharper teeth."

"And blue. And freaking fangs like a shark."

"They don't have teeth like a shark and Loki is…Wait, haven't you seen Loki in that form?"

"Um, no." She looked at Pepper and Jane. Both women were shaking their heads wordlessly. "I don't think Beth has either, so maybe Loki should show us when she gets back, you know, so we don't freak out if he has to do it in public some time?"

"In public…_Chyort voz'mi_, I don't think we've even considered that possibility." Nat sat down abruptly. "We have enough problems with Bruce's other. Okay, Darcy; what is this going to do to Loki's rebranding?"

"Depends on how he looks."

Nat rolled her eyes. Darcy didn't think she'd seen the woman do that before. "He looks like Loki except that he's the same shade and has the same clan markings as Helblindi."

"He's the one with the gold collar-thing, right?"

"Torc, it's called a torc."

"Whatever." She frowned trying and failing to picture Loki blue with ridges on his face…or other parts of his body. "Hey, do those marks go all over?" she asked. Nat gave her a deadly look. "What? I'm curious. Besides, you know the fans are going to ask."

_"Bozhe moy. Don't mention that to Loki." _

_"Too late," a smoothly accented voice told them. Darcy snickered at Nat's horrified expression as Loki walked back into the lounge. "I've already heard," he continued. Fortunately he looked kind of amused; the two giants behind him, not so much. _

_She shrugged. "Sorry, but it's not like I can look _Jötnar anatomy up on the web like you can look up human anatomy."

"Jötunheim doesn't have internet access, Ms. Lewis," Loki chided. He was still amused though. There was this sparkle in his eyes that just wasn't there when his smirk was pissy. Subtle difference, sure, but it was there.

"Funny." She decided boldness…even more than her normal…was called for and slipped her arm through his. "Come on, Loki," she said in a conspiratorial tone. "Inquiring minds want to know."

He snorted. "Inquiring minds are too nosy for their own good. And before you ask Kara, think on this. I'm only half Jötunn; that really won't tell you if the full-bloods have the same anatomy."

Not deterred, she let go and turned to the two giants with narrowed eyes. Helblindi frowned even more deeply than he had been. "This is not a fit discussion with a female."

"Not much on feminism on Jötunheim, huh?" she muttered. Helblindi looked confused.

"It has more to do with respect, Darcy," Loki told her. "Do behave," his words said, but his expression said otherwise. As she opened her mouth he held up a hand. "No, really…I cannot encourage you to embarrass my brother; not this one, anyway."

"Oh, so you're good with me embarrassing Thor?"

Laughing outright, Loki told her, "Yes, but only if you do it while I can see his reaction."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm still going to ask Kara though."

There was that glint in his eyes again. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall during _that_ conversation."

… …

Kara stifled a laugh as her mother-in-law and the other queens tried to hide their astonishment at the antics of Aleixandre Bailey, the designer working on their dresses. "Well, what do you think?" she asked everyone as she turned slowly to display the basted together dress.

"Perfect," Frigga said with a smile. Freya nodded agreement and Elénaril looked approving as well.

Sif was the sole dissenter. But then, Kara didn't expect the warrior to approve. "Can you breathe in that thing?" she asked with a somewhat appalled expression.

"Breathe, yes; bend, not so much."

"It will keep your posture perfect," Aleixandre exclaimed. "You will look every inch the princess you are."

She directed a sour look to the back of his head. "I'm sure," was all that she said aloud.

"You need jewelry, Kara," Freya said with a considering frown. "It should be something tight about the neck, perhaps having multiple stones depending from it."

Pepper looked over from where she was trying on her headdress and veil combination. "Tony has that covered. It's in the vault back at Avengers' Tower. We can stop by there when we're done here to take a look at it." Tony's fiancé smirked at her groan. "I know, but it was supposed to be a surprise. Just don't tell him I told you and act surprised when he gives it to you."

"He's already paying for the wedding…not to mention everything else."

"So? He's having fun with it. Throwing extravagant parties is one of his favorite things. Trust me; he's spent far more money on far less important events."

Kara tried not to sigh, she really did. Frigga took her by the arm and led her back to the dressing room so that she could remove the gown. "Don't fret, daughter. You will repay them many times over through the years."

"Probably, but I hate owing anyone."

Frigga smiled as she helped her tug the bodice off. "I know you do, you are an independent woman. Other than his habit of trying to forbid you things how well is my son dealing with that?"

She thought about it for a minute. "Not too badly, actually. He's changed so much since I first met him, and in a good way." Kara could feel the heat of a blush rise in her cheeks. "I fall more in love with him almost every day; isn't that kind of pathetic?"

"No! That is wonderful. It means that you are both becoming more what the other needs and that, my dear, is to be envied."

"Okay. I-I'm really proud of him, you know? He's growing as a person, caring about people he knows he'll lose sooner rather than later and dealing with that. It makes him sad, but he's also recognizing he's better for having known them. Did Thor tell you that Loki is getting the team to help him with his mischief?"

"No, he did not."

"Hmm. Oh, he wasn't there, duh, Kara. Loki got Steve and some of the others to help him paint flowers all over my armor. They had to be really sneaky to do it. They also painted a political kind of thing on Tony's armor. I don't think Tony thought it was all that funny."

"Did you?"

"Well, kind of. I mean, having flowers all over my armor was too weird for words, but just the thought of everybody spending an entire day not just sneaking in and out of the room to paint but teaming up to keep me away from my armor until it was done is kind of hysterical. It was a really complicated farce…do you know the works of Shakespeare?"

"Yes, a fine bard. Midgard has had many such."

"Okay, so think 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' or 'Much Ado about Nothing' and that's the kind of thing they had going on to get it done."

"Ah, that would be amusing. Yes, he has changed, but not to something new. This is how he was as a boy and a very young man, before he became so very embittered."

Kara sighed out loud this time. "Sometimes I really hate your husband and even Thor."

"I have and will always love them both, but I understand. I have been terribly angry with them over the years. There was only so much I could do that wouldn't have made it worse."

She laid the dress across the table against the dressing room's wall and finished putting on her street clothes. "They'd just better not make me angry. I don't think I could sit by and let them hurt him again."

"Daughter, they've changed too. Truly. I have never seen Odin so contemplative in all my years with him. He has actually looked back at his actions and not only recognized but has sorrowed over the mistakes he has made. I much doubt he'll repeat them. And you have seen Thor change."

"Yes. Okay, enough of that. Are you coming to the Tower tonight? We're throwing an informal kind of pre-engagement ball party."

"Frey, Freya and I are coming. Elénaril is rather unhappy with Tolthe at the moment; I believe they will be remaining in their suite."

"Good. Uh, it's not that Elénaril wouldn't be welcome; but if I have to look at Tolthe's smug face again, I just might get sick. What is up with him? There's got to be more to it than a prank that happened centuries ago."

"I do not know, my dear. What I do know is that it does not bode well."

… …

Tony clapped his hands together and Loki tried not to smile too hard at his antics. The billionaire was in his element; entertaining his friends and guests with nothing but his wit and outrageousness. This was a relatively small gathering; the Avengers, their loved ones, Tony's closest friends, Nyvorlas and the visitors from Asgard, Vanir and Jötunheim. He'd met Colonel Rhodes or Rhodey as Tony called him and liked the man. While he seemed bound by duty, it was also apparent that he could and would bend the rules he lived by when that served the greater good. He was also, from what Tony and Pepper had told him, a most loyal friend. The mortal was short, even shorter than Tony who was not a tall man and he lacked the Avenger's sheer presence. But he was not one to be ignored, either. Loki tilted his head slightly, contemplating the puzzle of it. "How are you such good friends with Tony Stark?" he finally asked.

Rhodey shrugged. "I was the military liaison to Stark Industries for years. When he's not putting on a show for the public, he's a good guy. I got to know that good guy." Loki nodded agreement. "He says you're a good guy too; but I'm going to have to reserve judgment on that."

"Understandable. All I ask is a chance."

"You've got it. Hey, did you really paint the Anonymous mask on his faceplate?"

Loki smirked. "Now why would I do such a trivial thing?"

"To see Tony blow up over someone touching one of his precious suits."

"His reaction _was_ glorious. I believe Dr. Banner retrieved a copy of the video from S.H.I.E.L.D. if you care to see it."

"We've got to add it to the gag reel for Tony's bachelor party."

Gag reel? "What is a gag reel?"

"Um, it's a collection of funny videos, usually starring the person being honored."

"Interesting." He'd have to see if Banner was able to obtain the video of Stark and the hay incident to add to it.

… …

Beth was doing her best not to stare at the Frost Giants. They were kind of beautiful in a savage sort of way. Clint and Natasha seemed pretty comfortable around them and they were the most vulnerable of the Avengers, so she wasn't worried. They'd all been warned not to touch them. Apparently only Loki and Kara could touch or be touched by them, skin to skin, without getting frostbite pretty quickly. She dragged her attention back to King Frey and his sister, Queen Freya. Frey was regaling Steve with tales of battles and, surprisingly, diplomatic victories. Freya was looking at her curiously. "Victories do not impress you?" the taller blonde woman asked.

"I guess the victories that impress me are ones that save the life of someone who has been ill or injured. I've been studying medicine…uh, healing for a long time now."

"Beth is going to be a doctor soon. That's like what Asgard calls a journeyman healer," Steve told them. He sounded so proud that it made her smile.

"Ah, a truly honorable vocation. I suppose your interest in the Jötnar is understandable then."

She flushed. "Well, that and they're so very different from us. I mean, I've kind of gotten used to Prince Nyvorlas, but I couldn't help being startled every time I looked at him for a while. We've brought our myths to life using costumes and special effects, but to see the real thing in real life is kind of overwhelming."

"Did Midgardians truly believe they were alone in the universe?" Frey rumbled.

"Certainly some did. Some still do despite the evidence to the contrary. It's weird; a lot of us are pretty stubbornly narrow-minded. I just think it's kind of wonderful that there's all this diversity out there. It kind of makes our differences; I mean the differences between the different ethnicities here, kind of insignificant. Hopefully we'll be able to grow past the horrible way we've treated each other now that we have proof we're more alike than we are different."

"Well said, my lady," Frey told her. "But do not despair over your people. Many within the other realms do not value each other for their differences either."

"Like Loki, you mean?"

The bearded king nodded. "Even when they did not know the full extent of his differences, he was not treated well by the Æsir…and now, well, many of them foolishly fear him."

"We have no problem with him," Steve said. "I mean, once we had proof of what really went down with the invasion, we forgave him for it, and heck…most of us are a lot different than other people. He fits in here pretty well."

"I'm glad of that, Captain. I believe that is what is allowing him to heal."

… …

Kara was not looking forward to the ball. The informal party two nights ago had been nice, but they couldn't leave it at that, oh no. Her life was officially a media circus. She and Loki would have to face the hounds from hell, also known as the paparazzi, when they arrived at the gala. "Do I really have to wear the coronet?" she asked plaintively.

"You know that you do," Loki told her as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't like it either, you know."

"Maybe I could release your power and we could skip out on this party?"

"Kara…"

"I know, I know. But I really feel miserable." It was true. Her stomach was upset and she had a headache that wouldn't quit. Beth thought it was nerves and Kara was fairly sure their almost-doctor was right. She'd sipped the herbal tea that Bruce had suggested, but all that had done was calm the indigestion. Her abdominal muscles were still cramping.

"It will all be over in just a few hours. Then we can come back here and enjoy a long soak."

"That had better be a euphemism for really great sex." She grinned at his annoyed frown. "Okay, really great lovemaking."

Loki chuckled. "Yes, we'll get to that as well, I'm certain."

"So what did the girls say about your Jötunn form?" While she'd been busy with Nat doing her hair and makeup Loki had been in their living room area changing forms for Jane, Darcy, Pepper and Beth. She'd heard voices, and Darcy's had sounded excited, but between the hair dryer and Nat constantly badgering her to 'stay still' and 'turn this way', she hadn't been able to make out a word.

He shrugged. "I'm not certain I understand their reaction. Darcy and Bethany immediately tried to touch me, even after I'd warned them of the consequences. I-I think they actually found that form…attractive."

She smacked his arm. "How many times have I told you that you're gorgeous in that form?"

"That's different. You love me, you're biased."

"Well, will you believe it now? Darcy and Beth don't love you, are they biased too?"

"No, I suppose not." He frowned and shook his head. "Darcy wishes to do a photo shoot, as she calls it with me in that form, dressed as I was in Jötunheim. I refused."

"Why? It's part of who you are, Loki."

"Perhaps I do not like who I am," he snapped.

She lifted her skirts and straddled him as he sat on the sofa. "I love who you are and I'm very proud of you. I think you need to do this so you can see how truly beautiful you are."

"The mortals, most of them, will be appalled."

"Some of them will. Most will think it's just too amazing or extremely awesome." He shook his head mutely. "I'll make a deal with you. One picture, my choice. If it doesn't get at least fifty percent supportive comments I'll never ever ask you to do it again. If it does, then you let Darcy post whatever pictures she wants of you. Well, those that won't get us banned for lewdness and terms of service violations."

He looked up at her and sighed. "You won't let this go, will you?" Kara shook her head firmly. "Fine."

… …

If anything, this was more of an ordeal than his engagement ball. Everywhere he looked was royalty; not just those visiting from off-realm, but the local variety. Prince William and his wife and his brother Prince Harry from England were the most recognizable. Harry was a blast. The kid had an infectious grin. Tony couldn't help thinking he'd make a much more tolerable king than either his brother or his father. Maybe William would do everyone a favor and abdicate? Nah, don't want to wish that on poor Harry. The Crown Prince of Norway, Prince Haakon and his wife were extremely excited to be here. Ambassador Haakun couldn't get the guy out of his hair, especially considering the prince's name was the more modern version of his own. Prince Albert was there, sans wife, though. The youngest prince of Liechtenstein was there, he and Harry were the only single male royals…well, single male Midgard royals present. Oh, and he couldn't forget Crown Princess Victoria and her husband from Sweden. Damn. Tony couldn't believe he'd remembered them all without checking with Jarvis. Kara looked miserable. For that matter, so did the Lokester, though he was hiding it better. Maybe he should go rescue them?

"Mr. Stark?" Frigga said quietly from behind him.

He turned and started to smile, but froze at her intense expression. "What's wrong?"

"I do not know, but I fear something terrible will happen. Your people are watching Tolthe and the Ljósálfar attendants?"

"Yeah. Fury has S.H.I.E.L.D. agents replacing the wait help. They haven't made a move out of place so far. Maybe the suspicion he's under from his queen has changed things?"

"My sense of foreboding does not agree with that."

"Nah, mine either. Hey, does Kara have foresight? She's looked miserable all day."

Frigga frowned, considering the question. "Many Æsir empaths do, I see no reason that Kara would not have at least a touch of it."

"Damn. That's not good news."

"No, dear friend, it is not."

He grinned. Hey, first time he'd been dear friend to a queen for a reason other than his inventions or his money. "I'll go check in with Fury, see if they've come up with anything."

"Thank you. You do have your armor?"

"Oh yeah." He nodded toward the side of the room where Happy sat holding on to the briefcase that held his portable suit. "Never go anywhere without it. I'm working on one that will come to me from anywhere, the Asgardian metal working is what's going to make that possible. In the meantime, I'm still covered."

"Good. I only hope that this time I am wrong and that you will not need it."

Well, shit.

… …

Fury nodded as Stark approached the spot he'd staked out. "Where's Nassar?" the inventor asked.

"Mingling. He's as on edge as we are. We've got every trained military person in here armed and ready, including the boys from the UK. Colonel Rhodes is standing by with the Iron Patriot armor. My people are as ready as they can be in the middle of an event like this. I still don't like it."

"Yeah, me either. More importantly, my honorary mother-in-law doesn't like it. That's scaring the daylights out of me."

"Why the fuck didn't Odin approve releasing Loki's magic for this shindig?"

"Politics." Stark raised a hand as he started to protest. "Before you go off on the old shit, Loki agreed with him. Kara can release his power in seconds, anyway. It won't make a difference."

"Damn sure hope not," he grumbled and then swore as an explosion rocked the room. Debris and glass rained over the attendees as two Chitauri sleds flew into the ballroom. Nick yelled over his com, "Why the fuck didn't we have a heads up on this?"

… …

Loki spun as Tolthe clapped a hand on his shoulder, it had…stung? "What have you done?" he slurred as powerful magic rushed through his bloodstream. He felt his own power bounce off of the internally absorbed sorcery as Kara tried to return it to him. This was not good. The last thing he knew before blackness claimed him was Kara's scream of fear and rage.

… …

Kara screamed as Loki's power rebounded back into her as she tried to return it to him. The force of it was enough to drive her to her knees. Two of the flying sleds she'd seen on videos of the invasion were swooping though the room. The Chitauri riding them held a net between them and scooped Loki up as he began to collapse and then the machines headed straight for the windows on the other side of the cavernous room. The backlash of the power had overwhelmed her, she couldn't reach her fire or anything else. Sobbing, she collapsed on the ground screaming Loki's name. She could see Rhodey and Thor giving chase, a moment later Tony was in his suit following them. A blue glow shone through the trashed windows and then it winked out. She could hear Thor bellowing in frustrated rage. It was too late.

… …

**Author's Notes:** Another cliffie. To soothe the savage beast (aka anguished readers) please go to my Tumblr account for a photo of a model that looks like Kara and photos of Kara's wedding dress. I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter, I was out of town without computer access. The good news on that is that I was out of town at Disneyland and got to see the exhibit of the Iron Man Armor. I'll post photos on my Tumblr as soon as I figure out how to download them from my new camera. _Chyort voz'mi_ basically means 'oh shit' and _bozhe moy_ means 'oh my god'.


	65. Chapter 65

Kara struggled to her knees. She couldn't see for the tears filling her eyes and the pounding in her head. The backlash of the power rebounding into her hurt worse than the migraines she was getting before Eir had healed her nervous system damage. "Easy, kiddo," she heard Bruce say as he helped her stand. "Relax, we'll get him back."

"How?" she asked. "We don't even know where they took him." Wiping her eyes she took a deep breath. The guests had scattered and were cowering at the sides of the room furthest from the windows.

Once her vision cleared she saw one of the British royals on his feet and staring out the shattered panes that the Chitauri had blown through on their way out. He was holding a handgun, she didn't know the kind, in a professional grip. His freckles stood out against his now pasty skin under his ginger hair. "What in heaven's name was that?" he asked in an accent that spoke of an Eton education.

"Chitauri," Iron Man said as he landed beside the stunned prince. "The aliens that trashed New York. Nice shooting, you had one of them bleeding pretty heavily."

"I-thank you. It was instinctual, I believe."

… …

"Good man." Tony flipped up the face plate and gently pressed down on the prince's hands. "You can stand down now, they're gone."

"Oh, too right. Sorry." Prince Harry tucked the weapon away and then strode over to where his brother hovered over the other royals, his own weapon out and ready and encouraged the elder prince to stand down as well.

"Okay, citizens of Earth, the party is obviously over. Time to head home. You're not in any danger; the enemy got what they came for. Off-realm visitors, stay put. Someone has some 'splainin' to do." Tony watched the human guests gather their things and head out while he closed down his suit. He picked up the briefcase it folded into and handed it to Happy. "Hopefully I won't need that again tonight, but stick close, 'k?"

"Sure boss."

"Kara, take it easy. As soon as Loki figures out where he is, he'll pop himself back here, it's good."

She shook her head. "No, Tony, he can't."

"Oh, come on. Last time he was hampered by the magic dampening tech, this time won't be a problem."

"He-he doesn't have his magic."

"Say what?"

"It bounced back when I unlocked it, it's still here. He has nothing to protect him, _nothing_," she said bitterly.

"Son of a bitch." He shook his head. "Keebler, get your ass over here."

"Stark, must you…" the Ljósálfar prince began.

"Shut it," he said quietly. "Is there something your people can do that could block Frosty from taking his mojo back when it's released to him?"

"Wha…no, well, not precisely."

"Explain what _can _be done, precisely."

"There's a potion that can make one temporarily immune to magic. It's generally used for protection when one is going on a diplomatic mission, particularly one that involves the Svartálfar as they have a number of sorceries that can infect the body."

"How is it used?"

"Swallowed, if one has a great deal of time to prepare, though it can be effective almost instantaneously if it's injected. But that's far too dangerous; you'd run the risk of permanently disabling your ability to use any kind of magic."

"Including sorcery?"

"Oh my God," Kara muttered. "That bastard wouldn't care if it disabled Loki, he probably hoped it would. Jesus, Tony; I'm going to fry Tolthe and if Elénaril gets in my way, she's toast too."

"I'm kind of leaning toward the frying myself, but take it easy, Loki will be fine. He's a hell of a fighter, and he's got Rhodey."

"What?"

"Rhodey caught up with them just as they hit the wormhole. He actually had his arms around him when they went through; he just couldn't spin and come back before it closed behind them. Loki isn't alone this time, Kara. He's got Rhodey in the War Machine armor; they've got a fighting chance."

"Not if they're stuck there. And without his magic, Loki won't be able to bring them back," she snarled. Her temper was simmering. He could almost literally see the heat rising in her eyes.

"Whoa, calm down, I've got an idea on that. I'll go make some calls, in the meantime, why don't you have a word with that scum-sucking consort – and hold off on the flaming, he's got intel to get first. I'd bet my entire stock portfolio that he did this and that he wasn't acting alone; he's sold us all out."

Nyvorlas snorted. "I do not know what a stock portfolio might be, but that is certainly a safe wager. Kara, let's go put the fear of you into my mother's consort."

… …

"My pleasure." Kara stalked over to where the off-realm guests waited. That stinking turd wasn't just smug anymore; he was gleeful. Oh, that was going to change. "Why?" she asked Tolthe directly. "You can't be doing all of this over an illusion cast centuries ago."

"I have no idea what you mean," he said with a carefully cultivated innocent expression.

"I'm a powerful empath. You can't lie to me; _Loki _can't even lie to me. I feel your smugness and I feel your glee. No shielding in the Nine Realms can completely block me when I really want to get past it."

"You're mistaken. I feel no such things, I feel only shock."

"Nyvorlas, explain me to your…what the hell is he to you?"

"Nothing. His position as my mother's consort gives him no relation whatsoever to me, thank the gods." Nyvorlas turned a flinty gaze on Tolthe. "Princess Kara was an empath whose ability even the Æsir admired when she was mortal. Now that she is not, her gift has grown considerably. If I cannot block her unaided, you surely cannot. Answer her honestly lest she demonstrate what else she can do with it. Unlike our people, she has a skill set that lends itself well to attack."

"I have nothing to hide…"

"You have nothing hidden but your motive and your partners!" Kara snarled at him. "I _know_ you're responsible for this. I know _how_ you did it. What I still _need_ to know is why and who else was involved." Tolthe set his jaw and stared at her. His murky grayish amber eyes were ugly, she decided; particularly when they were narrowed in such an obstinate expression. "Do you even know what they'll do to him? No? Obviously you don't care, you selfish bastard." She blinked back tears as she remembered how close Loki had come to death the last time the Mad Titan had him.

"Whatever he gets, he deserves," the Ljósálfar hissed.

Elénaril gasped. "Tolthe, how can you say such?"

"No one deserves that, asshole," Tony snapped as he rejoined them. "Loki did a hell of a lot here that pissed us all off. He threw me through my own goddamn window, but when I saw what had happened to him my first thought was that he didn't deserve it. What kind of person are you?"

"You're going to tell me who put you up to this and how I can find them or I'm going to make you scream," Kara said, finally managing to calm down enough to concentrate. She pulled memories; memories of her own fears, memories of Loki's pain and terror that she'd picked up after they'd found him broken and bleeding in Central Park, memories of the despair she felt when Loki returned to Asgard with Thor, of when he lost his chance to be Asgard's hero and when he'd refused to defend himself to the Tribunal. If Tolthe refused to respond to her demand, fine.

"You won't touch me. I'm a diplomat."

"You are a sniveling coward and you are going down. I don't have to even come near you, let alone touch you to make you scream," she promised as she packaged the entire compilation of horror and forced it through his shields.

… …

Elénaril gasped as Tolthe shrieked and dropped to the floor, cowering before the redheaded former mortal. "Please!" he begged. "Make it stop!"

"What is happening to him?" she demanded

"He's mentally feeling the pain and terror Loki and I have felt thanks to the Mad Titan. Tolthe, if you tell me what I want to know it will stop. Otherwise you'll feel like this for the rest of your miserable life," the woman snapped.

"Now, Princess," Elénaril chided soothingly; "I'm certain he did not realize what he did."

"Oh, he realized. He's a petty weasel and this time his betrayal is coming back to bite him in the ass."

The god of Thunder put a hand on the shoulder of his sister by marriage. "He will face Odin's wrath, Kara. Let him go."

"Thor, stuff it. He's sent my husband and your brother off to be tortured to death. He had help and he's going to tell me who helped him and how or he's going to scream in terror until his voice fails him."

Tolthe continued to shriek and whimper. Elénaril wanted to help him; after all, they'd been lovers for nearly four hundred years. But if he'd truly done this…she knelt beside him. "Tolthe, tell the truth, and you will be spared."

"He's guilty as sin and he's going to pay, but _this _will stop if he tells the truth."

"And if the truth is that he's innocent?" she asked desperately.

"He's not."

"Kara," Thor scolded. "What if there were extenuating circumstances? Loki received leniency."

"He'll have to prove it, like we did." The girl's tone was sullen, her expression made it clear that she did not believe any such proof existed.

"Tolthe, my love, we'll find proof. Please, tell the truth," she begged.

"You stupid cunt!" he screamed, his eyes so wide with fear the sclera showed all around the iris. "You never loved me, I never loved you. All you wanted was a never flagging cock and I gave that to you. I wanted power and now I shall have it. I will rule all of the Nine Realms in the name of Thanos!"

She pulled back, stunned. "Gee, isn't that a surprise," the Iron Man said, not sounding surprised at all. "And his eyes aren't even blue. That means he's doing this of his own free will."

… …

"People like him are what Loki saved us from by playing along with that lunatic," Bruce agreed. He shot a look at Kara. "I think you can let up now."

"Like hell. He didn't go anywhere near the Mad Titan; unflagging cock or not, he doesn't have the balls. He didn't have any artifacts on him, S.H.I.E.L.D made sure of that. The servants only knew he begged Elénaril to bring him, they didn't know why." She reached down and grabbed the shaking Ljósálfar's hair and dragged him up to his knees. "There's someone else involved and you're going to tell me who," she snarled in his face. Bruce shuddered. Kara's eyes were glowing in an odd mix of gold and silver. It seriously looked like a roaring golden fire against a silver backdrop. "Who helped you? Where is the artifact?"

The fabric of Tolthe's pants darkened as the smell of urine and feces spread through the room. Oh boy. Kara must have upped the wattage of her projection and the poor bastard had soiled himself. He was gibbering now, and weeping outright. "Malekith," he finally sputtered. "Malekith walked the branches of Yggdrasil and brought a token from Thanos. He took it with him when he left."

"Should you say the Titan's name once more I will rip out your tongue," Helblindi grated from behind them. "I'd much rather not. I wish to hear you scream when I punish you for what you have done to my brother and heir."

Bruce shuddered remembering the grisly sight of Býleistr's head hanging from Helblindi's belt then shuddered again when he realized that Tolthe's confession meant that Malekith had survived the avalanche. "Oh, no; that lunatic is still walking around?"

Helblindi nodded. "So it would seem, doctor." He turned to Kara. "Release him now, Princess. His mind should be sound when punishment is meted out, else such would be meaningless." Kara nodded and let go of Tolthe's hair. He collapsed on the floor, his eyes rolling up into his head as he lost consciousness.

"Tony," Bruce asked. "What have you got for us?"

"Jane got a reading on that bridge. She and Erik are heading out to Central Park and are working on tracking it to the other end. It could take a while, but we should be able to open up one of our own using the War Machine…uh, Iron Patriot, damn I hate that name, armor as our focus, its arc reactor has a unique energy signature."

Frigga stepped forward and took a now shaking Kara into her arms. "Asgard can help with that. Thor, go to the All-Father. I'm certain Heimdall has already reported this disaster to him. Ask him for help opening this bridge to retrieve our Loki."

… …

Oh, this was so bad, James thought as he stared at the alien landscape that surrounded them. The two Chitauri sleds had crashed into each other when he'd pulled Loki from their grasp, but when he'd banked into a turn the blue rip in the air had disappeared and they were…someplace else. "Crap. Tony? Tony, can you hear me, buddy?" Not even static. The computer that ran his armor was limited in comparison to Jarvis, but it was still enough to tell him that none of the constellations he could see were visible from his part of the universe. The air, however, was close enough to Earth normal that he could stop using the armor's reserve supply. His power levels were at 99%; that was good. The modified arc reactor Tony had put in this thing would keep it going for a while. Tony had told him about Jane opening an Einstein-Rosen bridge to Asgard. Would she be able to open one to here; wherever here was? "Oh, crap, this is FUBAR." Loki was moaning and his eyelids were fluttering. "Loki, you with me? We're in deep here."

The god's eyes snapped open. "Colonel?" he muttered fuzzily.

"Yeah, hey, just call me Rhodey, like Tony does. Otherwise I'm going to feel like I've got to salute or return one."

Loki struggled to sit up and he repressed an urge to help. He had a hunch that the guy wouldn't appreciate it. "Tolthe poisoned me; he blocked my power. Oh, gods, Kara. That had to have hurt her."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he checked the HUD to keep an eye on their surroundings. Nothing was within his range; assuming things here would register on the equipment. For sure the Chitauri did and any of the other beings Tony had encountered. He'd passed on an update to the sensors the last time they'd gotten together to 'play'. But what if there were other things Tony didn't know anything about? "I have a really bad feeling about this."

The god favored him with a sardonic look. "You have a gift for understatement, _Rhodey_. I do not have my power, it's blocked from me and I much doubt our enemy will be so kind as to open a gate back to the Nine Realms for us. "I only hope that the rebounding of my power did no real harm to my wife."

Loki had answered him, in a roundabout way. It looked like he was struggling to focus, maybe because of that poison he mentioned. "Um, is there an antidote to the poison?"

The guy had really pretty eyes and holy Hannah was it freaky or what that he'd noticed? That green was almost mesmerizing. Damn. "No, I-it's more a potion, actually, though it was used as a poison. It will have to wear off," Loki muttered, looking away and breaking the connection. "If that doesn't happen soon, we are doomed."

"I don't like the sound of that."

A soft snort answered him. "Think you that I do?" Loki stood and turned around slowly, stopping when he saw the wrecked sleds. "Your work?"

"Sort of. I grabbed you from them and they didn't let go so they collided pretty violently."

"That's bought us a little time. I was wondering why we have not been captured. They likely had instructions to deliver me elsewhere and are not yet overdue." He strode over to the crash site and started picking through the wreckage, tossing several items to the side. After he'd picked through everything, Loki moved to the pile of items he'd pulled out and went through it more carefully. "These are fully charged, excellent," he said as he slung two of the energy weapons over his back by their long straps. "These have field rations in them," he said as he tossed a belt and pouch to him. "You should pray we shall have no need of them as they're quite foul. However, they will sustain us."

"Great. Aliens came up with something worse than MREs. Uh, field rations we call 'Meals Ready to Eat'."

Loki smirked. "They don't find them nearly so vile as I do. I've seen them eat the stuff with great relish. However, they are not to my taste and I much doubt they are to yours, either. This," he continued, holding up what looked like funky-shaped canteens, "is water, or a close enough substitute. It's tasteless, so we'll have no issue with it."

"Okay, so we won't starve or die of thirst anytime soon. Why do I think that's the least of our worries?"

"Because you are an intelligent man; Tony would not have long tolerated your company else. Before they crashed, they were taking me to their leader."

"How cliché can you get?" Loki's eyebrow shot up. "Never mind, it's a cultural thing. Tony said you guys have problems with some of that, my bad."

… …

"He must be taken to Asgard for judgment," Haakun told the gathered royals.

"I'll save you all a lot of trouble," Kara told him as she pulled away from her mother-in-law's comforting embrace. "A nice Tolthe-sized pile of ash would be really satisfying just now."

"All the Realms must see what it is to bring harm to the Royal House of Asgard," Haakun insisted.

"Jötunheim has first call on justice," Helblindi interrupted. "We take the most damage from Loki's loss."

"Excuse me?" Kara said, directing a glare at her brother-in-law that by all rights should have incinerated him even if she weren't a pyrokinetic.

"First, he has harmed my heir," Helblindi began. "Second, he has harmed my only remaining brother; third, he has harmed my sister by marriage. Punishment for these crimes should be mine to bestow. I will see that he fully regrets his attack upon my family before I grant him the mercy of death." Kara pictured Tolthe's head hanging from Helblindi's belt. The thought was, if anything, more satisfying than making him into a pile of ash. "As I will not be in the midst of battle, his death will arrive far more slowly than that of Býleistr," he promised.

"Thirty-five days," she bargained. Helblindi's eyebrows rose. "I had thirty-five days, including today, of marriage to Loki. If we can't retrieve him, that's all I'll ever have. I want that bastard to suffer for thirty-five days before you finish it."

"Done."

"Kara, maybe you should just let…"

"No, Tony. I'm sick of this. I am sick of people targeting Loki because they think they can get away with it. I can't do this anymore; it stops and it stops now. If we survive this, I want every last being in the Nine Realms to know that they do _not _fuck with me and they do _not_ fuck with my family." She turned to stare at Tolthe, who had finally regained consciousness. Her eyes narrowed and she nodded. "Start with a finger, rip it off, the next day a toe; keep that up until they're all gone. Then a hand, then a foot and after they're gone move to the lower arms and lower legs, then to the upper. Go for the ears next. That should give you thirty-four days. On the thirty-fifth day rip off that cock he's so damn proud of and let him bleed out. If he doesn't, go ahead and rip his head off." She turned and stalked away, ignoring Tolthe's keening whine and the horrified expressions on almost every face save those of the Jötnar.

… …

"She didn't really mean that," Bruce offered. "It's the shock of the situation."

"On the contrary, Dr. Banner; I believe she meant every word of it." Bruce frowned at Raj Nassar. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top psychiatrist and the chairman of their Council of Regents seemed absolutely serious and only slightly perturbed. "She's seen the worst of the, uh, Nine Realms in two months or thereabouts she's known of their existence. She's had to fight not just for her love but her life repeatedly. It's a miracle and a tribute to her resilience that she hasn't snapped under the pressure of it all." The man sighed; he looked infinitely sad. "Sometimes violence and horror must be met with the same. Kara knows what she's demanded, and she understands it all too well, I believe. It's a pity that such a caring soul has had to learn that lesson so thoroughly at so young an age."

Bruce looked around at the others and was surprised to see agreement on almost every face, even most of the Avengers. Frigga's expression echoed Nassar's. "I shall go care for my daughter," she told them.

"My queen," Haakun called before she left the room. "Do you dispute King Helblindi's claim?"

Frigga's sky blue eyes hardened. "I do not, nor will the All-Father. Tolthe will face justice on Jötunheim." Those eyes softened again when the Ljósálfar queen gasped. "He has not just betrayed us all to the Mad Titan, he has destroyed my family, Elénaril. Odin would show no more mercy than Helblindi or Kara. And he has betrayed you as well; be glad that you need not punish him yourself, my friend."

Elénaril nodded and resolutely turned her back on her consort. Bruce could still see her lost expression. Considering how coldly Nyvorlas had spoken of her before, he was surprised when the prince joined her and took her into a supportive embrace. The other Avengers stood around looking awkward. Well, not Tony. The genius's eyes were narrowed and he was rubbing his hands together. Obviously, Tony had a plan. "Care to share?" he asked him in a soft tone.

"I've been working on upgrades to the suit," he said with a sharp grin.

"And water is wet."

"Ha-ha. I've modified it; if I have to go outside the atmosphere, I'll have plenty of oxygen and it will resist decompressing in the lack of atmosphere thanks to the Asgardian metalworking secrets aaannd there's now a backup for repowering, kind of a rechargeable battery, that Loki's been helping with when his power's been released for training exercises. Even if the MT and the Chitauri are too much for Loki and Rhodey to handle, they'll still be taking a chunk out of them; once that bridge is open, I can swoop through and kick some ass instead of losing power and needing you to break my fall."

Bruce nodded. "What about the rest of us?"

"I can't do much for you guys without building you suits and yeah, not happening. Though the modified body armor I'm working on for Cap might be able to have a helmet added to it, Jarvis, make a note of that…just not in time."

"You're really worried."

"What do you mean?"

You mentioned three different people, two of whom you almost always use snarky nicknames for, and you didn't use a one."

Tony's expression said it all. "Well, shit."

… …

"You're not going to talk me out of it," Kara told her.

"I've no intention of it. It is rather bloodthirsty, but well deserved under the circumstances," Frigga told the daughter of her heart. "I couldn't be any more proud of you for making such a difficult decision."

"It wasn't a decision," the girl admitted. "It's just…okay; it's vengeance, plain and simple. I want someone to suffer for this, and he's a deserving target. The others will suffer too, but I think they're more dangerous so, if I get the opportunity, they're just going to die, period."

"That's probably wise. But dear, let Odin handle the Mad Titan; he is beyond even your power."

"Odin's not here, I am. Whether I can kill him or not, I've got to try. At the very least, I'm going to make that bastard hurt."

"What good would that do should he then swat you like an insect? Between his own power, the power he's stolen from others, and the mystical artifacts he's collected, there is little even a god can do on his or her own. Odin would bring all the power of Hlidskjalf and Gungnir to bear upon him."

Kara's expression could best be described as a glower. "Well, if my father-in-law deigns to bring his high and mighty ass into battle, _maybe _I'll let him help."

Her laughter, however inappropriate, burst out. The thought of the former mortal allowing or disallowing Odin anything was simply hilarious…although…she gasped and shook her head. "Oh, Kara; I am sorry. I couldn't help but picture my husband's reaction to being graciously allowed to share an attack with anyone. Please don't put it that way to him; the shock he'd suffer might cost you the victory."

The girl's lips twitched. "I'll resist the temptation then. After we've destroyed that-that thing I'll let him know I _allowed _him to help."

"Just be sure you're smiling when you say it, dear. He's not much quicker than Thor at knowing when he's being teased; and do not tell me that you would not be teasing at that point. I know better."

"How much does that annoy Loki?" Kara asked.

"Terribly." Her smile faded as her daughter's eyes filled with tears. "You'll have him in your arms again, sweeting, I'm certain of it."

"But how badly broken will he be this time? How many times can his mind and body be broken before one or the other just gives up? It's so not fair."

"I know, my dear. Life rarely is."

… …

Loki struggled to fully focus. He'd recognized the potion that was used upon him; he'd experimented with it centuries ago to see if he could find a way around it...and had failed. Tolthe had to have given him twice the usual dose for it to have made him this groggy. "Should we be sticking so close to the wreck site?" Rhodey asked him as he finished fastening the canteen and food pouch around his armored waist.

He had to concentrate to think about it rationally. "Yes and no. We should get away from this immediate site, but we must be able to return here swiftly should our friends find a way to open a path for us. It would be easiest for them to do so in the last spot one was opened."

"Okay, makes sense. How about those rocks over there? Good cover, not too far."

"And the first place they'd look." He shuddered thinking of The Other's boast that there would be no crevasse where he couldn't find him. Wait. "Can you scan below the surface?" he asked.

"Uh, sure. What are we looking for?"

"A crevasse. One large enough to hold the two of us that can be covered with some of those larger rocks."

The armored man looked from side to side for a moment and then stopped. "Bingo. Uh, I mean, found one. Better yet, it's under an overhanging ledge so if we give a push to one of the overhanging rocks to that side of it, it will look like it fell naturally."

"Then let us move that other rock. Your armor works much like the Iron Man armor, yes?"

"Pretty much. It's not as elegant and it has more outright weaponry."

"It can generate a light wind to blow our tracks away?"

Rhodey was silent for a moment then popped up the faceplate on his armor. "Junior says I can do a three percent power up on a hand repulser and that will do the trick."

"Good. Junior?"

"I've got a stripped down version of Jarvis in this thing. No personality, and minimal self-direction, but it has the same computational capabilities and it talks. I call it Junior because it's a younger or smaller version of Jarvis." Loki stared at him as he tried to understand the reference. "Look, when parents give their son the same name as the dad, they use a suffix of junior at the end of the name and the dad becomes senior. So if I had a son I named James, he'd be James Rhodes, Junior and I'd become James Rhodes, Senior."

"Ah. Thank you. I hadn't heard that custom before." Mystery solved, he lost interest and trudged toward the rocks.

"Junior, give me locomotion capability, but power everything else but the scanners down to where we can do a hot restart," Loki heard Rhodey tell his armor's computer. The response must have been in an earpiece as he did not hear it before the mechanized steps followed behind him.

… …

"We've got the equipment set up," Jane Foster told them as they arrived in Central Park near the fountain that now served as a Bifröst egress. "We're working on getting a lock on the Iron Patriot arc reactor. That's the hard part."

They all jumped as a glow surrounded the fountain and the platform slid across it, triggered by the eldritch energies. Three figures landed with a reverberating boom. Nick blinked as the tallest, an older silver-haired warrior wearing gold armor turned an intense one-eyed gaze on them. He smothered a grin and Raj Nassar frowned at him inquiringly. "I was just picturing someone running around with one brown left eye and one blue right eye somewhere."

"Your macabre humor surfaces at the oddest moments," Raj murmured.

"Am I imagining things, doctor, or is he bigger than Thor?"

"You're not. A good two or three inches and a bit broader across the shoulders I'd think. Unless it's all in the armor."

"Odin's one quarter Jötnar," Romanov said quietly. Nick cursed silently. She was the one agent, or former agent, that could sneak up on him.

"Then why is Loki not bigger if he's half?"

"I think the muscle bulk is the Æsir side. It's just the height that's attributable to the Jötnar. Helblindi isn't nearly the tallest of his people, and that makes me think Laufey wasn't particularly tall either."

"Interesting." But for later. He stepped forward as the Kind of Asgard, his son and an impossibly old man dressed in robes stepped down from the platform. "Welcome to New York City," he said.

… …

"No, we must do this with brute force. Your weapons will leave anomalous marks on the rock and would be noticed," Loki told him

James sighed. "Fine, I'll power up so we'll have plenty of that."

Loki grinned. "My magic is blocked, but I'm still a god." The god squatted down, carefully angling his back against the rock and turned his hands to grip the lower edges of it. "We'll need to give it a bit of lift, not simply push outright, to get it over and down properly."

"Okay." He selected a spot that would balance Loki's position and prepared to compensate for the fact that the slender man wouldn't be able to lift as hard or as fast as he could in the Iron Patriot armor. Man, he hated that name, but the Pentagon Brass had ordered him to use it. "Ready, on three?" Loki nodded. "Okay, one, two, three…whoa, hold up!" Loki's side had been lifting far more easily than he had expected. Heck, easier than he could manage with the suit. "How strong are you?"

"Exponentially stronger than a mortal. Not so strong, physically, as Thor or many others of the Æsir."

"Oh, that's real helpful." He queried Junior. Oh. Actually, that was pretty helpful. "Okay, sorry. Tony had your strength calculations in the last update he snuck to me. Let's try this again."

Wearing an annoyed expression, Loki situated himself and nodded. "On my count then, Rhodey since I will obviously need to adjust for you." James grimaced and nodded back. "One, two, three!" They lifted with perfect precision this time and the rock tumbled over the ledge that had held it for who knew how long and landed with a tremor inducing thud in the soft ground below.

Peering over the edge he queried Junior again. "Perfect. It's just where we'd hoped."

"Calculated," Loki corrected. "It is exactly where I calculated it would land."

Good God this guy was annoying. "How is it you and Tony haven't killed each other yet?" he had to ask.

The god shrugged. "It would be rude to kill a man responsible for saving my life and Kara would be angry with him if he killed me. I think of it as an armed truce." Oh, James thought. That _so _wasn't good. Loki sighed. "I'm joking. I understand him and by some strange quirk of fate, he understands me. We have an accord; once with a certain amount of animosity, it's true, but considering our personalities, that's to be expected. We do, ah, keep a lid on it, I believe the phrase is."

They climbed back down to the surface of the asteroid; the atmosphere was artificial, Loki had informed him. There was enough room to slip down in the crevasse if he took off part of the armor. There was plenty of room in it to put the stuff back on. Getting out in a hurry wouldn't be a problem. If that had to happen, he could blast his way out and the explosion of debris would be a good weapon and cover for them. "Okay, looks good. Let's go make some tracks leading elsewhere and then I'll power up and carry you back here erasing the tracks we've made to the rocks on the way."

… …

Green eyes narrowed as their owner smiled wickedly. This was going so very well! Tolthe had betrayed only Malekith and would be silenced forever soon enough. Loki would be dead in moments if he was not already…or he would once again be in the thrall of Thanos. Either served her plan. Thanos would soon make his way here to this ridiculous excuse for a Realm and Odin and his greatest warriors would come here to fight him. They could not risk the Titan setting foot in the Valhöll, within reach of the dangerous treasures safeguarded in the Great Vault. She'd little doubt they'd destroy the mad creature, particularly when she came in at the last moment to deliver the fatal blow. She'd have to time it well. Odin and Heimdall must both be dead or beyond the help of the Healers. Thor must be in danger or safely captured, yet not overly harmed. Then her intervention would save Asgard, Thor would marry her out of gratitude and she would be Queen of Asgard. She sighed as pictured it. After a suitable time, of course, Thor would also have to die. But first she would enjoy him well. A woman's light footsteps hurried down the hall and she pulled back into the shadows. Holding her breath as the mortal glanced in her direction then continued on, oblivious to her presence, she smiled again. This was too easy, Amora thought as she stepped into the hidden path that connected to the roots and branches of Yggdrasill.


	66. Chapter 66

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for all the excitement, reviews and eager anticipation. I hope I can continue to deliver! Welcome to all of the new readers and those who have recently followed and favorited. Both new and long time readers are greatly appreciated; I consider you all an amazing gift! Now…back to the story!

… …

"This is Director Fury, of S.H.I.E.L.D.," his elder son told him. "His organization sponsored the Avengers Initiative last cycle and helped us to recover Loki."

Odin read between the lines easily. This man had seen his son at his worst, but was now working with him, however reluctantly. He'd give him the benefit of the doubt. "Director," he said, understanding that the word was a title, not a name. "Have you any news?"

"Dr. Foster and Dr. Selvig have their equipment available to open a bridge, but they've yet to track the signal in the arc reactor worn by Colonel Rhodes in his Iron Patriot armor."

"It's similar to the Man of Iron's old armor, father. But the reactor is part of the armor, rather than the man. Colonel Rhodes is an honorable warrior and a good friend of Tony Stark."

"I much doubt your equipment can track it, Director," Odin told the man. It was odd, he decided, looking into a face much his opposite…down to a patch over the opposite eye socket. "While they may be in this galaxy, they would be at the outskirts of it."

The mortal woman who was fussing over the tables full of the mentioned equipment gasped then swallowed heavily when he frowned at her. "You're right, sir. If they're that far, we wouldn't pick up a signal for years after it began."

"As I suspected," the Grand Vizier, head of the Sorcerer's Guild, told them. "Can you show me what exactly you would search for were they within a distance your, ah, equipment could reach?"

"Do you understand our science like Loki does?" she countered.

"I taught that pup much of what he knows," he said dryly.

"Oh. Okay, here is the mathematical formula and," she said, hitting a button on in a series of them, causing a display to light up. "This is a visualization of the frequency."

Odin peered over the Sorcerer's shoulder as they studied the frequency. The older man, who had not used a personal name for over five thousand years, soon began wandering amongst the equipment, one hand hovering over the various items as he scried their use and working. Finally he stopped with an audible humph. "Set your equipment to searching. I shall merge my power with it to extend the range." The mortals all stared, some with mouths slightly open. "Well? Hop to it. Every moment they are gone brings them closer to death."

… …

"Where are my wife, my daughter and my warriors?" Odin asked him.

"On their way, sir. Kara and your three warriors are armoring. Your lady is staying close, she was concerned that Malekith might try to make a separate attack on Kara," Nick responded.

"He's not quite that much a fool. I'm certain the half-breed knows that she develops swiftly and would not hesitate to end him."

"I was told she couldn't work through magical shields."

"On Midgard, such shields as he uses are not so useful, particularly against one whose power was born on this world. I suspect she is angry enough to both try and succeed. Are your people holding Tolthe?" he asked.

"Yes. We weren't sure what kind of abilities he had, so we have him contained with magic dampening technology; it's been improved since we last used it. Prince Nyvorlas took a look at our security measures and felt they'd be more than sufficient."

"I'm not so certain; no disrespect intended to your people or to the prince, but I believe he has more allies and that some of them may be able to travel through the realms. I have a small company due to arrive in a moment, separate from my larger force. They will take him to the dungeons of Asgard and hold him there until this is over; or forever if we fail."

Nick stared. "The stakes are that high?"

"They are. Has your military been put on alert?"

"I'm not sure what they could do, but yes. They're awaiting orders." And they were. Every country with a connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. had issued the U.S. equivalent to DEFCON TWO, the second highest stage of readiness.

"One of your nuclear devices destroyed a Chitauri fleet."

"Yes, but it was delivered to them by Iron Man. Our military isn't going to be able to do that. We can't use those devices here without seriously endangering millions of innocent lives."

"If the Mad Titan comes here, and he will, billions of lives will be endangered."

"The plan is to open a bridge, get Loki and Colonel Rhodes back, and then close it again."

If there was one thing Nick hated, it was to be on the receiving end of a pitying look. Odin was very good at delivering such a look. "The Titan is furious and brimming with frustration at his recent failures. If he does not come through when we open the bridge, and it is closed before him, he will have a window of opportunity to force it back open. That will rip the fabric of space and time irreparably. If he is there at all, we must allow him to pass through and then close it behind him to keep the bulk of his fleets on the other side."

He swallowed and activated his com. "Hill, Sitwell. Raise the alert to DEFCON ONE and contact the President, the Governor and the Mayor. Begin an immediate evacuation of Manhattan and put the other boroughs on alert. We may have to evacuate them as well. Chairman," he continued, not mentioning Nassar by name. "Advise the regents."

… …

They'd had to take the Avengers' Quinjet to Central Park; all ground routes were being rerouted to send people out of the city. Jarvis played the announcement from the Mayor…total bullshit about a gas leak that could take out the entire island. I mean, really, who was going to believe that garbage? The people were dutifully fleeing, however, and not stopping to gather more than the bare minimum of personal items. The Mayor had also declared martial law and announced that any looters would be shot on sight. Pepper, claiming she was following Tony's instructions, had arranged for busses to stop by the popular hangouts for the homeless and pick up any of them willing to go before joining Darcy and Happy in the small helicopter that was taking them upstate. Beth had refused to evacuate; she insisted that she'd be able to watch out for herself and that they'd need her if anyone was hurt. Steve had approved it when they'd called him to talk some sense into her. There were no signs of panic on the streets yet…plenty of quiet fear, but not outright panic. Kara was willing to bet that most New Yorkers realized that what they were really preparing for was another invasion. She frowned as she trotted over to where the odd group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and off-realm visitors were gathered. "Getting fancy?" Tony asked her. She blushed as she fingered the dark green tunic with two front thigh slits that her mother-in-law had insisted she wear over her armor.

"Frigga thought that all that shiny gold was too tempting a target. Why she doesn't think Loki's green would make an equally good target, particularly for this battle, I don't understand."

"It won't catch the sun. Since you basically attack from cover, it will camouflage you a good bit."

"Only if I'm hiding in some freaking bushes," she grumbled.

Tony chuckled. "You could." His faceplate was off and he turned his attention back to the power grid he was monitoring. "The old geezer's juiced up our range. This thing is producing a search pattern about a thousand times its normal limit and it's increasing exponentially. I'm keeping an eye on it; we're a little worried it might fry the electronics."

"Lovely. Who…oh," she said with a frown as she spotted the Grand Vizier off to the side chanting softly. "You know, he can probably hear you."

"Ask me if I care."

"Tony, come on…" she broke off as he held up a hand. "Sorry, but it doesn't break the tension for me."

"Can't say I didn't try."

She reached up to pat his cheek. "You tried. Thank you. I'd better go talk to Odin."

"Give him hell, kid."

… …

"You and Freya will return to Asgard with Haakun," he informed his queen. "Once you've arrived, Haakun will take the gate; Heimdall will bring my elite guard here. Volstagg will help you hold the Valhöll; alert Brunnhilde, the Valkyries will be needed to guard the vault. If the Titan makes it into Asgard, you must take the gauntlet and flee while Brunnhilde calls forth the Einherjar to prevent him from following you."

"Will it really come to that?" his once mortal daughter asked as she joined them.

"We hope not," Frigga told the girl. "But if it does, we must be prepared."

"I guess I'm kind of surprised no one's running around using the 'R' word," Kara muttered.

"Ragnarök? That is heralded by a series of events before the great battle, and we have not had them. Though this could destroy many of us, it is not Ragnarök," Odin assured her.

"I just want Loki back."

"We all do, my girl," he said, laying a hand on her armored shoulder. "You wear his colors well."

She shrugged. "It was Frigga's idea. I was fine just in my armor."

He smiled. "I'm certain you were. This makes you look like a true Æsir; I am very proud to call you daughter."

"Thanks. We should have given him his magic back."

"If you had, I suspect Tolthe had a secondary potion to disable him. The result would have been the same for Loki and worse for us in that we would have undermined our support from the other Realms for not adhering to the spirit of his sentence."

The girl's bright eyes clouded with unshed tears. "I'm so frightened for him," she said in a tremulous voice.

She accepted his embrace reluctantly at first and then began to cry against his shoulder. "We all are, my dear; but he's very resourceful, our Loki. I firmly believe that we will win him back and that you shall have your vengeance."

"I'm not usually this…weepy," Kara muttered, scrubbing at her eyes with one bare hand. "It's embarrassing."

Odin laughed and squeezed her gently before setting her back on her feet. "You, my daughter, have had a trying day. It is good to get the emotion out of your system now, before the battle begins. Then you will have a clear head and will be able to do what needs be done."

"Is it true that this bastard is doing all of this because he worships some personification of death?"

"Loves it, her, somehow. Though a sick and twisted love it is."

"Then I vote we introduce them, up close and personal," she growled.

"That, dear child, is the plan."

… …

"This is creepy," Rhodey griped from where he crouched on hands and knees over him.

"I'm not comfortable either, you know," Loki informed the mortal. His muscles were strenuously protesting the fact that he'd curled up into as small a ball as he could manage. "But the intense combination of tech and living flesh on their sensing devices will not register much if any differently than some varieties of their own kind."

"Yeah, I got that." The man tensed as the Chitauri sled hovered nearby, the whine of its sensing devices grating on their ears. They waited silently for it to move on. Rhodey exhaled noisily when it did. "Seriously hating this."

He had to smirk. The no-nonsense USAF Lieutenant Colonel spoke concisely, unlike his good friend Stark. However, like Tony, he managed to put a wealth of emotion into his voice that was not apparent in his words or expressions. "They haven't gone far, though we can relax for the moment." Rhodey nodded and pushed himself upright. Loki slid back and lounged against the wall of the crevasse as he took a small sip of the water. "And no, the potion has not worn off as of yet."

"I figured you'd have said so if it had." Rhodey opened his own flask and took an experimental sip. He eyed the fluid with a frown. "It tastes weird."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "It has no taste whatsoever," he corrected. It was true; the water-like substance was made, like everything else the Chitauri had, for maximum efficiency. It had nothing to lend it any taste, no mineral residue…ah. "That is what is strange to you. There are no minerals or anything else in this water, not even traces."

"Huh. I guess it's what you're used to." The man frowned as Loki continued to stare at him. "What?"

"I-I suppose I'm perplexed."

"About what?"

"How infinitely diverse Midgardians are. Even amongst those of the same country and the same parent races, you are all as different as night and day. It's not that way on the other Realms."

Rhodey frowned thoughtfully. "You know, in the smaller countries on Earth, before globalization got into full swing; most people throughout that country were a lot more alike than the people in the larger countries. It's probably a combination of genetic inbreeding complicated by a homogenous culture."

Loki nodded. He'd been right, this mortal was quite intelligent. "I can see how that would be. The populations of the other Realms are rather small, and most are isolated, by tradition if not by intent. The most interaction occurs between the Æsir and the Vanir, and the lines between the two have blurred over the many centuries."

"Well, humans are pretty stubborn. In the U.S. we hold on to a lot of the traditions of our native cultures when we can. Even though the country is called a melting pot it's more an amalgam." They waited in silence for a good quarter hour. "Hey, I've got a question."

"Don't we all?" He chuckled at the mortal's glare. "Ask."

"What did they want with us? Uh, Earth, I mean. Why did they want to invade Earth?"

Loki let his head drop back against the rough stone behind him. "Nothing. It is simply a gateway to Asgard. They only wish your deaths to offer in tribute to the Mad Titan's beloved."

"Then why make you king of it?"

He smiled bitterly. "It was a bargain. Midgard was to be spared, on the whole, in exchange for my cooperation in giving the Titan access to Asgard and the artifact protected there. He assumed I hated Odin and his people enough to give them up for the prospect of being a king."

"Damn. You really did save our asses."

Straightening, he nodded. "I really did. I had to, you see."

"Why?"

"To prove I could do what Thor could not. Why else?"

… …

James stared at the god of Mischief and Lies. After dealing with Tony for years, he was pretty sensitive to bullshit and that last statement…well, it didn't exactly reek of it, but there was a good strong whiff. While he was sure that Loki's jealousy of Thor and proving he was better than the other god had something to do with it, there's no way that was the whole story. If it was, Tony wouldn't like the guy. "Did Tony fall for that load?"

"I'm certain I have no idea what you mean."

He was damn sure Loki knew _exactly_ what he meant. "Right. Wait…" he broke off and shut the faceplate so he could focus better on the HUD. "They're coming back and there's something bigger following behind them."

Loki used the narrow sides of the crevasse to crab his way up to the lip and peered over. He dropped down heavily a split second later; his tux even more worse for the wear. "Leviathans," he reported. "Back in position. Hopefully they'll be fooled as well, but be prepared. I have a bad feeling about this."

James shivered as he crouched back over the ball Loki made of himself. "Any sign of that potion wearing off?" he asked, feeling like a kid asking if they were there yet.

"Sadly, no. Now, hush."

… …

"Well, well; if it isn't the anti-Claus," Tony quipped in his usual sarcastic tone.

Bruce frowned at him. "Okay, that one I didn't get."

"He knows who's been naughty and nice, but doesn't do anything about it."

He felt an uncharacteristic urge to roll his eyes but settled for a put-upon sigh. "That one was a stretch."

"I know. I can't pick on Loki anymore without risking retaliation, so I'm getting out of practice."

"You need a new hobby."

Tony glowered at him. "I _tried _going back to drinking, but for some reason I don't seem to be getting a buzz out of it anymore. You have any ideas on how that could be?"

Bruce knew exactly why; Loki had confided in Kara about Tony's liver issues and she'd unlocked his power long enough for him to zap the expensive booze in Tony's stash into something that tasted identical, but had zero alcohol content. "Maybe you're becoming immune?" he responded after frowning thoughtfully.

"Nice try." Bruce shrugged at his friend's frown. "I'll bet it's a prank. Yeah, that's it."

"Could be," he agreed. "Damn, how many of them did he bring? That's a bigger group than we took to Jötunheim."

"You weren't facing the MT there, I guess this many would have been overkill."

"True." A full fifty Asgardian warriors had come through the egress in groups of ten. A few he recognized from the Jötunheim trip; most were new to him. "They're expecting this to be serious."

Tony's usually flip expression melted away. "I've got to make a call," he said as he walked away.

… …

"Tony?" Pepper said after glancing at the display on her phone when no one responded to her automatic 'hello'. "Are you there?"

"Yeah. I, uh, wasn't able to get through the last time I was in battle…uh, so I thought I'd better not leave it to the last minute."

Her throat closed and she swallowed hard to clear it. "Is it starting?"

"Not yet, but Odin's preparing for the worst. Pep, I love you so damn much. I-I just wanted you to know that, you know, just in case."

Unwelcome tears welled up before she was even able to come up with a response. "Damn it, Tony. You'd better come out of this in one piece, or I'm really going to be pissed."

He chuckled, that was good to hear. "If I don't I won't be too happy about it myself. Look, I'm not going to take suicidal chances, but this is probably going to be worse than the last one. The good news is that we've got nearly a dozen tons of Asgardians fighting with us this time."

"Tons? Exaggerating much?"

"No, seriously; do you know how much one of these guys weighs? Even that skinny shit Loki weighs over five hundred pounds. Thor's a hell of a lot heavier. There's literally ten tons of Asgardians here _before_ you add in Fandral, Hogun, Sif and Thor…oh, and Kara. Bruce says she's up to about two fifty already."

"But, she's gotten thinner, I swear. Aleixandre has to take in her gown from the original measurements."

"Yeah, as her conversion to Æsir progresses, her muscles and bones get denser and weigh more. But she hasn't been able to keep up with the metabolic changes. Haven't you noticed she's always munching?"

She had, but that… "Okay, whatever. Just…be careful, okay? I love you."

"I love you too, Virginia Potts. After this is handled, and we've had our wedding, I'm going to announce my retirement from the superhero business. I'll even consider letting S.H.I.E.L.D. find a recruit to fill the suit…but I've got final approval."

Pepper smiled. He'd never give it up; being Iron Man was even more addictive than the drinking. But it was nice he wanted to do it for their sake as a couple. "Just come back safe and we'll talk about it, okay?"

"Good deal, babe."

… …

"Perhaps Sif should accompany you back to the Valhöll," Prince Nyvorlas suggested in a diffident tone.

Frigga hid her smile. "She's one of our greatest warriors and is needed here."

"But that's exactly why she should go with you; the vault will need such a skilled protector."

"So, she's more than just a wager to you." She let her smile emerge as the Ljósálfar's eyes widened almost comically. "I'm quite well informed, you know."

His sharp features tightened in annoyance. "I do not know if she is more than a wager to me; what I do know is that I dearly wish to discover whether it is so."

"She stays, dear boy," Frigga told him gently. "Her sword is needed; she has already successfully fought the Chitauri and knows their ways. If you wish to make that discovery, then guard her back." Her smile faded as the disgruntled young man stalked off. "Nyvorlas," she called out. He hesitated then turned to glower at her. "Truly, I ask you to guard her back well."

His jaw dropped as her full meaning sunk in. "I will do my utmost, your majesty," he promised.

Nodding her satisfaction with his promise, she turned away. The Hawkeye and the Black Widow were overseeing the transfer of Tolthe to the guards who would be accompanying her back to Asgard. "Who else aided your treachery?" she asked him.

"I do not know Malekith's allies," he said sullenly. "Think you he trusted me?"

She did not. However, she was certain he'd been in contact with another of the half-breed's allies as Malekith was currently prevented from travelling to either Ljósálfheim or Asgard, even via the branches of Yggdrasil; and Tolthe had not travelled to any of the other Realms of late. "We will uncover your other allies, Tolthe. They will not be given the opportunity to save you from your fate."

… …

Jane dashed from monitor to monitor, occasionally eyeing Thor where he stood by his father and sister-in-law. The trio shared grim expressions. Kara's cheeks were streaked with tears and she'd donned the wraparound gold sunglasses to hide her swollen eyes as much as to block out the rising sun. But there she stood, jaw set, stance resolute. Jane knew that either she'd get Loki back or die trying…and she also knew that there was no way in hell she could have done the same for Thor. Cry, sure. Gear up to kick ass against impossible odds? No. Giving a last glance at the monitors she impulsively hurried over to the three and threw her arms around Kara's shoulders and hugged her close. "We've almost got it synced," she told her. "Give the bastards hell; we'll keep the bridge open for you." Thor nodded to her when she pulled back and looked at him. "You too, Thor; get your baby brother back so we've got someone to keep Stark in line."

He chuckled. "A very critical task indeed, Lady Jane. Thank you for your good wishes."

"No problem." She managed a half-nod, half-bow to Odin and retreated to her equipment. The frequencies were lining up more solidly now. They were oh-so-close. "Erik? I think we need to adjust by negative point three megahertz on this one," she suggested, nodding at the modulator.

"Point four," he corrected with narrowed eyes as he made the adjustment.

Jane glanced over at the absolutely ancient sorcerer who was boosting their ability to scan for the signal from the modified arc reactor with magic, of all things. Not sorcery, which she'd discovered from working with Loki, was just a different version of science, but pure magical power. Though sorcery was powered by magical power rather than the conventional sources they used, it was still science and had rules and methods. The Grand Vizier, as he had been introduced, looked slightly strained, but strong and serene. His chanting was a melodic undercurrent to the breeze that swirled through the park, sibilant, but non-threatening. A small rainbow tinted electrical arc connected his cupped hands and the central component of their system array. "It's a good thing we signed non-disclosures," she muttered to Erik. "Because we'd get tucked away in the loony bin if we tried to tell anyone about this."

Erik snorted soft agreement. "It's obvious why S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have a great deal of turnover in its scientific divisions. There's little we could put on a résumé."

"I think the freedom from budget woes makes up for it," she decided, giving their top of the line equipment a fond look.

"Very true."

... …

Rhodey cringed above him as yet another random energy blast rocked the surface. "Relax," he soothed. "They only _think _we're here and are trying to spook us out of hiding."

"They're doing a damn fine job of it," the mortal muttered.

Closing his eyes as the next strike hit close enough to shake gravel loose from the walls of the crevasse, Loki tucked his head further under the armored bulk of his companion. "Steady, you're doing quite well." His eyes flew open again as a distinctive voice cut through the chaos above. A voice he'd heard with his ears only infrequently during his stay with the enemy as the Mad Titan preferred to have The Other do his threatening for him. It had a far different timbre in the ears than it did in the mind. He did his best not to shudder lest his dread unnerve Stark's friend. "Silence," he warned. That voice cut through the noise once more making Loki's jaw clench in a combination of fear and frustration. Without his power there was nothing he could do in the vicinity of Thanos other than die. With his power, he would be able to cripple the bastard before he still very likely died. It wasn't something he'd care to risk with Kara's life also on the line.

"He is here, I feel him," that sonorous voice boomed. Loki couldn't hear the response of the Chitauri commander. "Find him and you may convince me that your life is worth more to me than your death!"

"Damn," Rhodey hissed once the sounds of the search had retreated. "He's jonesing for you real bad."

"I humiliated him, twice now: once by fooling him and then by escaping him when he thought me dead. He will not stop until one of us is no more."

"So how do we go about making him, uh, no more?"

"I know not."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"If I thought we could end him, we would not be cowering in this crevasse like frightened rodents."

"Okay, okay, don't get mad. I'm just trying to ratchet my terror down a notch here."

"I'm not angry; I-I'm also rather…" he gritted his teeth before forcing out the remaining word; "terrified."

"Oh." The mortal shrugged awkwardly in the armor. "Misery loves company, I guess."

… …

"You should have gone with Pepper and Darcy," he said before she could climb into the Quinjet for the trip back to Avengers' Tower.

"Forget it. All the hospitals are being evacuated too; Dr. Nassar and I are the only medical help you've got here." Beth shook her head as he frowned. "Steve, really; we'll be fine in the Tower. We've got Jarvis as back up. If we're not this close anybody injured will have to be medevac'd. It could take an hour for anyone to even get basic help and that's too long. We can save lives by being here."

"And you could die. What happens to the Regents if both the chairman and his successor die?"

"They'll manage; Steve, don't worry. Just be careful out there, okay?"

He sighed. "I'm going to worry, but I'll be as careful as I can. Damn it all." Her breath whooshed out of her as he crushed her to his chest and covered her mouth with his. The kiss was hard, desperate, and wonderful. He was slightly flushed as he pulled back. "I love you, Beth Anderson. We're both going to get out of this just fine, got it?"

She couldn't resist saluting as she stepped back. "Yes, sir, Captain America."

"Oh, geez. You…okay, tease me, go ahead."

"I love you, too, Steve Rogers. Go save the world; I'll be in the Tower safe and sound when you beat the bad guys."

… …

"Boss, this is a really bad idea," Happy said as he tried to keep up.

Pepper didn't bother to look back at him. "If it's safe enough for Beth and Dr. Nassar, it's safe enough for us."

"Aw, come on. Dr. Nassar is S.H.I.E.L.D.; that's different."

"I didn't ask for your opinion." Her lips twitched as he groaned. "Darcy, you have your taser?"

"Ha. I've got a pair of 'em. You want one?"

She unzipped a pocket on her bag to show the taser tucked inside. "Way ahead of you, hon. If these puppies can take down Thor, the bad guys don't stand a chance."

"Uh, Pepper? Thor was kind of mortal at the time. And to be fair, Jane had already hit him with the truck."

"Don't rain on my parade, Lewis."

Darcy snorted. "Fine, Potts."

Pepper grinned as she pushed open the door to the Medical Bay that Tony had refurbished after Loki's arrival two months ago and came to an abrupt halt only to be pushed forward when both Happy and Darcy crashed into her back. Raj Nassar and Beth Anderson had both taken very professional shooting stances, or so she judged from having watched Natasha do the same fairly often by now, and were pointing some kind of energy weapons at them. "Uh, don't shoot?"

"Miss Potts," Nassar said in a resigned tone as he pointed his weapon to the ceiling. Beth quickly followed suit. "What are you doing here?"

"You need backup. You don't have any assistants or anybody to watch your backs while you're working on patients."

"Director Fury is sending surgical techs from S.H.I.E.L.D. to handle both of those issues."

"Oh. Ah, well, we're here anyway?"

"Wonderful. Stark and Banner will find some way to blame this on me, I'm certain. Please don't get yourselves injured; I really don't want to have either of them angrier with me than they already are."

"Yes, that reminds me; why is that?" Both Beth and Nassar shot her uneasy looks and Pepper knew she was not going to like their response.

… …

"We've just about got it!" Jane Foster yelled from over by the equipment. "Get ready on the platform!"

Those going back to Asgard were gone. Forty of the Asgardian warriors had remained along with Heimdall, Hogun, Fandral, Sif, Odin, and Thor. Kara supposed she should count herself in with the Æsir at this point. Nyvorlas, Frey, Helblindi and Gymir had also stayed. All of her fellow Avengers were present and accounted for and S.H.I.E.L.D. was working on getting some team of Mutants to head their way in case they couldn't handle Thanos on their own. Well, on their own and with a full Marine Special Operations Battalion, and teams from the Joint Special Operations Command, including Delta Force, Seal Team Six and Seven Twenty-fourth Special Tactics Squadron. Oh, and S.H.I.E.L.D., of course. The Helicarrier was nearby and troops were also on the ground. They were going to look awfully foolish if nothing happened; though by the grim expression on the All-Father's face, there was small chance of that. Tony and Thor immediately climbed up on the platform and Kara moved to join them, Loki's scepter tucked under her arm. "Whoa," Tony told her, holding out a gauntleted hand. "Where do you think you're going, sis?"

"I'm going after my husband, Tony. Did you think I'd just sit here like a good little girl and wait for the big, strong men to fix things? I'm almost as strong as Steve by this point."

"Has nothing to do with you being a girl or your strength, kid. You're staying here."

"Agreed," Steve said as he hurried over. "You're staying here and that's an order, Avenger."

"I quit."

"Kara, be reasonable," Thor said quietly…for him.

"I am being reasonable, I've…"

"Daughter. As a princess of Asgard, and a member of the Æsir, I am your king. I also order you to remain here."

She turned to glare at Odin. "My life is on the line. My love is on the line. Where do you get off ordering me to…"

"God damn it, Kara, it's about the logistics, will you fucking well shut up for two minutes and listen to me?" Tony grated. Stopping in mid-rant she looked up at him. "Thor can fly under his own power. I can fly under the suit's power. That's why we're the only ones going. Have you learned to fly when I wasn't looking?"

She rolled her eyes behind the wraparound sunglasses. "You know I haven't."

"What happens if, God forbid, both Loki and Rhodey need to be carried back here? Who would we leave behind?"

Her jaw dropped. That hadn't even occurred to her. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Now step back and get ready to give that mad son of a bitch everything you've got when he follows us back through, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Kara nodded. "Okay. You know, you could have explained that earlier."

Thor shook his head. "We _did_, my sister. You were too busy being fearful for Loki to listen." She bit her lip at his gentle tone. "Put aside your fear and harness your anger. You will have your love back soon enough, I swear it."

"Don't make promises, Thor. I don't want you to be, uh, forsworn if you can't keep them." She hopped up on the platform and gave him a quick hug. "But thanks." Leaning up, she threw an arm around the neck of Tony's suit and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Both of you, be careful. I've only got three brothers, and I want to keep all of them."

"Three?" Tony asked as energy started to crackle around him. She glanced over her shoulder as she felt a wave of cold behind her. Helblindi nodded at her honorary brother and her other brother by marriage. "Oh, yeah. Three. Hey, nice to have you in the family, your majesty," he said as he closed his face plate.

A blue wave of light engulfed them and they were gone.

… …

"Oh, shit!" Rhodey yelled as the walls of the crevasse suddenly tumbled in on them. Loki was glad for the mortal's armor and the strength of the servos as the man braced himself to prevent the weight of the broken rock from crushing them. "Do they…" he broke off as a weapon discharge hit their exposed hiding place. "Yeah, they know we're here. You ready to rumble?"

He licked lips suddenly gone dry. This was it. He had to survive or Kara would die. Should he turn himself in? "If I surrender, they will…"

"Bullshit. No retreat, no surrender, we're taking it to them. You with me or not?"

If he surrendered, they'd kill Rhodey and he'd have yet another mortal's death on his soul. Kara would prefer he go out fighting, he decided, even if it meant her death. She'd probably rather die than have him suffer again. "I'm with you."

The mortal nodded and snapped the face plate closed. Leaning to one side he gave a mighty heave and moved the crushing rock enough to turn and aim his repulsers at the rest. "Okay, I'm gonna do it." Loki pulled one of the energy weapons off of his back as the rocks exploded outwards. "Go!" Rhodey shot out of the remains of the crevasse, all weapons targeting and firing. Loki waited a beat and then leapt out behind him. As he expected, the armored figure had drawn all eyes and he was able to destroy a dozen Chitauri, down three sleds and commandeer a fourth before they even realized he'd entered the battle. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Rhodey yelled to him, throwing an armored fist in the air as Loki buzzed by him.

They fought silently thereafter. Loki hadn't had one of the team's communication devices on him when he'd been abducted. Another mistake. He ducked as energy weapons were discharged at him and then banked swiftly to take out another sled. Glancing at the equipment on his he grinned as he discovered a tow line. Grabbing the hook end of it he loosened the winch and used his Æsir/Jötunn strength to hurl it and caught hold of one of the other sleds. Banking again, he dove under a leviathan and, pulling the other sled behind him, curved up and around the behemoth. He reached down and pulled the winch loose and threw it into the leviathan's maw as he crossed in front of it then sped away. The hooked sled tried to follow him but the chain now entangled inside the leviathan pulled it back to crash inside the half-flesh and half-tech creature. With an almost painful sounding mechanical groan it crashed to the ground taking out another four sleds of Chitauri unlucky enough to be in its path.

Rhodey was making good account of himself, Chitauri and their sleds now littered the ground. But where was Thanos? He took the time to look around and nearly ran into the net held by a pair of sleds that were trying to capture rather than kill him. Good to know; the Titan was foolish to give him such an advantage. He leapt up off the sled and allowed it to plow into the net and drag the pursuing sleds first away and then into each other. Running at full speed he ran up the body of the downed leviathan and then jumped onto a passing sled, throwing the gunner off and then shooting the pilot through the head. Its body soon followed its partner's. Dread crashed through him and his throat tightened as a new wave of Chitauri flanking a purple-skinned giant figure wearing gold armor came over a rise. The Mad Titan had returned.


	67. Chapter 67

**Author's Notes:** Hold on to your popcorn; this one's action packed! I'm taking some extreme liberties with Thanos' power and personality as I haven't read the comics in decades…consider it artistic license. Please see my Tumblr account (same user ID) for a picture of Kara's new fighting tunic and also for a poll on a future female character name. Now, back to the story!

**… …**

"Oh my God." James was really glad the suit had a system for dealing with urine output because he'd peed himself for only the second time in his entire career. Come to think of it, the first time had been wearing this same suit when he'd realized Ivan had hacked it and was sending it to kill not only James' best civilian friend, but thousands of innocent expo attendees. "That is one scary ugly bastard." Looking around, he couldn't see the god of Mischief and Lies anywhere. "Junior, where's Loki?" he asked the suit's mini AI. The HUD flashed a location behind a fallen leviathan. "Discretion is the better part of valor, I guess. You'd better be planning something, buddy because I'm fresh out of ideas."

Going high, he tried to curve over and behind the approaching force without being noticed. It seemed to work, but then he realized they'd seen him, but dismissed him entirely. The entire group was focused on one thing. Loki. "Why didn't we get you wired up when we knew we were expecting trouble?" he griped.

"Power levels at thirty-nine percent," the AI's monotone voice reported.

"That's not good. Come on, Tony; S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scientists opened up a bridge to Asgard before, we've got a piece of Asgard here and he's in deep trouble, so where's the damn bridge?" Suddenly three sleds all lashed together came roaring out over the fallen leviathan and headed right for the advancing force with what appeared to be a target made out of some kind of slime painted on the front of the center one. "Now that looks like an invitation." He lined up the shot and waited. The sleds were almost directly below big, purple and ugly when an energy weapon discharged from behind the cover of some large rocks. That had to be his signal. Lining up the shot he gave it a full-force blast.

The sleds exploded; shrapnel and blossoming energy taking out all of the troops near the main enemy. Big and bad himself was on the ground, sitting on his ass and looking around, his stony jaw dropped in disbelief. "Find him!" he bellowed.

"Oh, Loki, you've got balls, my friend, and you are some kind of genius. Junior, everything we've got on my mark," he told the AI as he focused on his target. A minute passed, then two, and another sled zipped out from behind the rocks, all weapons tracking the purple giant and firing salvo after salvo. "Mark!" James yelled and grinned as the Mad Titan, as Loki had called the guy, was hit with a barrage of weapons fire from two directions. He hovered near cover as he waited for the dust to clear, ignoring Junior's report that power levels were now down to twenty percent. "Oh, shit." The purple bastard was climbing to his feet. His golden armor wasn't so shiny anymore and his bluish outfit was smudged and ripped, but other than that, he seemed to be in one piece. "That ain't good." The big impervious bastard took a few steps forward, limping. "All that and we only got a stinking _limp _out of it? We are so dead."

… …

Thanos was _limping_ and rather profoundly. Loki smiled, counting it a great victory. It wouldn't make a too much difference in the end, but the Mad Titan would remember him. He'd remember that he'd made an enemy of a god of Asgard and that even stripped of his most effective powers, that god had _hurt _him. "And I'd hurt you a great deal more if I had my power," he sneered as he moved behind the cover of the downed leviathan again to prepare part two of his attack. The mortal had read his intentions well. If they survived long enough to speak, Loki would make certain that Rhodey knew that he was impressed. It was an honor to fight with such an intelligent and effective warrior at his side. "Tony does pick his friends well, it seems. If Odin's Valkyries still chose mortals slain in combat for Valhalla, you would surely be amongst those selected once this battle is done. Not that _I'd _see you there. After my mistakes, I'd be fortunate to be welcomed in Hel's domain." Moving hurriedly in and out of the fallen leviathan, he spliced wires, rerouted circuits, and began overload sequences on the beast's mechanical portions. Satisfied that all was as ready as he could make it, he shrugged off the remains of the black tuxedo jacket and slipped off the white silk shirt. He clambered out of a hole in the top of the beast and waved the shirt in the air.

"You seek to surrender, Laufeyson?" Thanos asked, sounding highly amused. "Why should I not just kill you now?"

Certain that even the Titan's madness would not make him do such a thing when he had the opportunity to inflict prolonged torment instead, Loki stood and faced his enemy. "Because you like your revenge served up cold, Thanos. I will give myself over for that revenge, on two non-negotiable conditions."

The eyes that shone with insanity narrowed. "And those are?"

"First; you keep me alive. You may torture me; make me your slave, whatever pleases you; but do not kill me. Second, you open a gate and send the mortal safely home. He has no quarrel with you, or you with him. His job was to keep me on Midgard to ensure my sentence was served and he was simply trying to do his duty. Even he would agree that being in your custody is a worse sentence than any his people would impose."

Thanos stared at him, brooding. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot; yet it will die when that boot steps upon it. I will keep you alive, never fear, but I will give no favors to a mortal who has damaged so many of my loyal subjects," he said as he stepped up onto the downed behemoth and moved towards him.

Loki didn't bother to hide his smirk. "Wrong answer; I told you my conditions were non-negotiable." Turning, he ran and leapt off of the leviathan's back onto the sled he had waiting and took off at full speed. A deep rumble warned him and he ducked down under the edge of the sled's front and spun it around as the great beast exploded. The Titan's bellow of pain and outrage was music to his ears.

… …

"Eyes on him at all times," Frigga ordered as she left the guard company in the dungeons. "He has magic using allies that may brave our defenses to free him. I want those allies caught." The guard captain bowed as she swept past. That was the best they could do with Tolthe for the moment; there were far more pressing concerns. Returning to the Valhöll, she detoured to the Great Vault while Freya took Elénaril to the Hall of Weapons. Brunnehilde stood waiting, flanked by two of her Valkyrie. "Ah, good; you received the message."

The Valkyrie Commander bowed. "I have a full company on the premises, my lady. I've dispatched others to the locations of the cube and the casket."

"Good thinking. Do you have the ritual prepared to summon the Einherjar should such be needed?"

Brunnehilde gave her an uneasy look. "Yes, my lady. They can only be summoned once though; should we really use them for this?"

"If the Mad Titan breaches Asgard's other defenses and gains the Gauntlet, we shall never see true Ragnarök."

"And if we win against him, we should have a great many heroes to choose from to rebuild the Einherjar's ranks; yes, that does make sense." The Valkyrie grinned; "as always, your majesty."

"Sassy girl. You're very nearly as bad as my new daughter. You two should meet…or perhaps not. She gives Odin enough grief without your influence, my friend."

Brunnehilde laughed. "Oh, my queen; I most definitely wish to meet her, then."

… …

James watched in horror as debris from the exploding leviathan struck the sled piloted by a shirtless Loki and trashed it. Loki leapt from the contraption as it exploded in turn and fell through the air. "God or not, that's gonna hurt," he muttered as he flew to intercept the falling man. "Gotcha," he crowed as he scooped Loki up midair. "Damn, you're heavy," he muttered as the HUD registered a whopping five-hundred and fifteen pounds of dead weight and Junior advised him that his power levels were down to fifteen percent. Landing beyond the rocks he set the god down on the ground and looked him over. Other than moderate bruising and a cut over one eye he seemed to be in awfully good shape for someone caught in an explosion. "Come on, buddy, wake up."

Those emerald green eyes opened, if you could count narrow slits as being open. "Is he moving?"

"Uh, yeah. He's sitting up, holding his head. He looks maybe a little worse for the wear than you do, but I've got to tell you, that's not saying much."

"We're fortunate we've hurt him at all." Loki accepted a hand up and looked slightly down into his eyes once he was vertical, despite the six inches or so added to James' height by the suit. Damn, the man was tall. "You are a valiant and skilled warrior. It's been an honor to have you by my side in this."

James frowned; he'd always been quick on the uptake. "You don't think we'll get out of here alive."

"I much doubt that _I_ will; but I will do everything I can to get you home before I die."

Oh, sweet Jesus. "Loki? Look, I know enough about your story to understand that hope is pretty much a limited commodity for you; but me? I got hope. There're people back home that are not going to give up on us and I'm sure as hell not going to give up on us. We're in this together. Either we both get out or neither of us gets out because I am _not _going home and facing _your _wife and telling her I left you here. That woman scares the hell out of me."

"Not afraid of facing Thor?"

"Man, he's not nearly as scary as Kara. I met her at Tony's when she first came to S.H.I.E.L.D. and watched her toast one of Tony's suits. He tells me she's a lot stronger now. Besides that, she's a redhead." He shuddered, thinking about the typical redhead's temper that Kara had displayed during another visit.

"So she is. Very well, then we both get out."

James frowned as Loki's gaze slid away from his when he made that statement. "No bullshitting me; you've got to believe it or we've lost before we start. That's how hope works."

Loki's expression was bleak. "I've ever been a realist, Rhodey. Realistically, I cannot see how we can stay alive much longer if I do not surrender."

"We just have to stay alive until they get that bridge reopened. You know they will. All we need to do is hang on long enough." The damn god didn't look hopeful, but he did look determined. That was a start. "Just chill and we've got this."

The green eyes widened and a sly smile tugged at Loki's lips. "I have an idea." _Now_ he sounded hopeful.

… …

"What do you mean, they're sending one man?" Nick glared at the display where Agent Hill's annoyed expression stared back at him.

"Apparently they've recently lost their leader and one of their founding members and are regrouping but are having problems with a renegade mutant group. Ms. Munroe insists that they can't spare anyone else."

"Did you impress upon her the gravity of the situation?" He closed his eye. "Never mind, of course you did."

"If we can't contain the problem, the rest of their team will break off what they're doing and head out here, but other than that, this is the best they can do for us."

"Wonderful. Dr. Foster, Dr. Selvig, what have you got for me?"

"It's still open; there's been no fluctuation since they went through. I'm not sure if that tells us anything," Jane Foster responded.

He tried not to sigh and refrained from making a facetious comment. The scientists were doing their best. Nick just really wished so much wasn't depending on the fucking loose cannons known as Tony Stark and Loki of Asgard.

… …

Loki walked out from cover and stopped in front of a more or less recovered Thanos. The Titan stared at him, no doubt shocked that he dared approach. "Let's try this one more time, shall we?" he told his tormentor. "Let the mortal go home, and short of ending my life, you can do whatever you like to me, I shan't resist it."

"God of Mischief, you are a fool!" Thanos told him as his huge hand shot out and took Loki by the throat. He let himself go limp in the Titan's grasp. "I do what I want, when I want."

"Not on my watch," Rhodey said as he stepped out on top of the rocks and posed dramatically.

"Ah, an even greater fool. Our princeling doesn't want to die, mortal. Surrender or I will kill him now," the Titan said, pulling him hard against his body.

"Yeah, not happening."

"No? Have I forgotten your kind already? If he lives, he has hope. Should I kill him, all hope is lost and you are doomed. Surrender or…"

Loki smirked, delighted as the words were choked off. He pulled the frozen fingers from his throat, breaking them in the process. "Is he dead?" Rhodey asked.

"No, we are not that fortunate. I'm certain this won't hold him long, but I really couldn't resist." He frowned up at the Titan. "You knew of my heritage," he said conversationally. "Did it not occur to you that shifting to my Jötunn form would not require access to my power? Hmm, you've made yet another mistake."

"Uh, Loki…maybe while he's frozen you might want to get out of his reach?"

"I wonder how long he'll stay frozen if I maintain physical contact."

"Experiment some other time; his eyelids are moving."

An ominous cracking sound warned him that the Titan was breaking free of the ice. It seemed he had frozen over but had not been frozen through. Ah, well; it was worth the attempt. **"LOKI!"** Thanos bellowed as he smirked and hurried away.

… …

Kara winced as heat enveloped her left wrist. She yanked off her gauntlet to see the green crystal in her bracelet glowing. "What the hell?"

"Loki's been attacked with magic and has been protected by the ward on the crystal," Odin told her.

"But I thought that potion made him immune…oh." Closing her eyes she concentrated. "Yes! It wore off. Oh crap; how long will it take to get to him?"

"His power?" Odin asked. "He is not within the Nine Realms so I do not know," he said, managing to look concerned and thoughtful at the same time.

… …

He'd never get used to this. It wasn't the relatively smooth travel via tesseract; this was like the bridge Jane had created to Asgard, except it didn't have a native of the destination to anchor it. That made it far worse. "Jarvis make a note; add in accommodation for vomiting in the next model."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, good, you're still with me."

"Only minimally, sir. I shall have to download this experience into my main memory once we return."

"Got it; when we return, good positive thinking, J." Tony looked around for Thor. The blonde god was down on one knee looking as queasy as Tony felt.

**"LOKI!"** an absolutely horrifying voice bellowed.

"Which way, Jarvis?" His HUD lit up, indicating a location over a rise. Thor was on his feet facing that direction. "Come on, Surf City; it sounds like your baby brother is stirring up trouble." They flew to the top of the rise and found Rhodey just over the top of it, manually lifting boulders and throwing them at the real live and oh-so-fuckingly-terrifying MT. "Wouldn't the repulsors work better?" he asked.

"Tony, thank God. I'm down to seven percent power, enough to move, but not much more."

"Been there, hated that." He looked over the field. Freaking Loki was Jötnar blue and was running away from the MT, laughing his ass off. Ice littered the ground around the big purple bastard. A blast of power suddenly radiated out from the MT and Loki went tumbling. "Shit." He grabbed Thor's arm. "Hold up, look."

Loki climbed back to his feet, still laughing. "Is that all you've got, Titan?" the trickster jeered. "Come now, Cosmic Power not what it used to be, or are you simply having performance issues?"

"Hey, he stole my line," Tony complained. Thor and Rhodey stared at him. "It was mine first; when Loki tried to use the Glow Stick of Destiny on me and it didn't work I ribbed him about performance issues."

"Odin's spelled bracelet protected him once it will not protect him again," Thor growled, shaking him off. "We must…" he broke off with an inarticulate cry as another energy blast exploded from the MT.

"Oh, shit that's…" Tony stopped as a green dome of light suddenly sprang up around the blue god and the radiating energy struck it and dissipated.

"Yes!" Rhodey yelled. "It wore off!"

"Good deal. Thor, you wanna grab that battery out of that compartment and just touch the gold end to Rhodey's reactor?" Tony asked, popping it open. "He's about out of juice. Rhodey, the plan is grab Loki and head _slowly _back to Earth while Goth Barney follows."

"Wait; you _want _that thing to follow us back to Earth?"

"Yeah, we've got one hell of a welcoming committee waiting for him. The trick is going to be to herd him through the gate and leave most of that," he explained as he waved a hand at the hovering army of Chitauri air sleds and leviathans, "behind."

… …

It was back! Power surged through him and just in time. He formed a hasty shield and hoped for the best as Thanos blasted him again with Cosmic energy. It held! He laughed at the furious expression Thanos favored him with. "Revenge will be sweet, Titan; _and it will be mine_." Holding out a hand he summoned his scepter from the Tower. It didn't come. What in the Nine? Kara must have collected it. He sent a light pulse of power to find her and tried again. This time he was rewarded by the heft of the weapon in his hand. "Ah, don't be so gleeful," he told the enemy as the Titan's lips stretched in a hideous grin. "It's free of your taint." He leveled the weapon and sent off a blast of the purified energy of the tesseract straight to the bastard's chest.

Thanos bellowed in outrage as he ended up on his backside for the third time in an hour. "Laufeyson!"

"Odinson, actually," Loki informed him smugly. A blast of lightning caught his attention. Thor stood on the rise, Mjölnir held up in the air, channeling lightning which seemingly came from the opened gate. Ah, this asteroid's mystically generated atmosphere had no capability for storm fronts so Thor's power was calling it through the void. Interesting. His jaw dropped in shock as he realized that the lightning was being directed at Rhodey. "What are you doing?" he shouted, horrified.

"Powering him up, it's cool." Stark landed heavily behind him. "The battery we made needs to be retrofitted to work on Rhodey's reactor. I tried to tell you we were here, but I guess you don't have your ears on."

"I don't have a communications device if that's what you mean."

"Yeah." Stark popped open a compartment. "Kara actually thought about that. Reach on in and grab it, my fingers are too big," he said, wiggling the gauntleted digits to demonstrate.

"Is she…"

"She's fine, Lokes. Pissed as all hell and she put the hammer down on Tolthe, but she's good. Helblindi and your dad are watching her back; she's waiting for you to come back home to her."

"She must be frantic."

"That's a good word for it. Her attention span has been zilch. Damn girl is bloodthirsty, did you know that?"

He laughed and then smirked as the Thanos growled at him. "It's not blood thirst; it's a highly developed protective instinct. She's as fierce as a dragon when her loved ones are threatened. Now, shall we get out of here before the Titan stops playing cat and mouse with me? I should like to get back to my lady relatively intact."

"Yeah, about that…we're going to goad him into following us and then cut off his army behind him."

Loki stared at Tony incredulously. "What degree of insanity have you reached that makes you believe _that _to be a good idea?"

"You're going to have to blame this one on Mommy and Daddy Dearest. It's a combination of some foresight and tactical scenario they came up with. Hey, I don't like it either, but I didn't have a better idea when they spelled out the alternatives. Odin figures the MT will rip the gate back open and do permanent damage to space and time if we close it in his face."

"He…likely would." Loki realized that he couldn't really argue with that. "They'd best have an army of their own waiting."

"Several. How do you want to do this? You know this piece of shit better than we do."

"I'll need a ride."

… …

It was good to hear his brother's voice, even if he was simply snapping instructions. Stark had picked Loki up and they were hovering in midair. While Loki could have duplicated the feat with his sorcery, he was conserving his power for a full strike. The Iron Patriot, or Rhodey as Tony Stark was calling him, was flying away from them in his newly reinvigorated armor. He had no ammunition remaining for aught but his energy weapons, but for what Loki had planned, that would be enough. Thor grinned nastily at the evil monster that had tortured his brother. This was going to feel good, however little actual damage they might do to him. "Ready," he said as Stark queried their status.

Raising Mjölnir he concentrated on calling more lightning through the void. It was a taxing effort, but worth it if their plans were furthered. He felt the energy build and moved the mystic hammer forward as was his agreed upon signal. "Now!" Loki called out. He let the lightning fly at the same time as Stark and Rhodey fired their energy weapons and Loki simultaneously used the scepter and cast one of his sorceries. A veritable barrage of energy struck the Mad Titan and exploded.

Moving to his designated point of retreat, Thor peered out and waited. It seemed cowardly, to hide like this, but he understood the strategy. "Son of a bitch," Stark cursed as the dust cleared. Many of the Chitauri were destroyed, but Thanos was climbing back to his feet, roaring with fury.

Their true objective was achieved; a number of the air sleds were now unmanned. Loki leapt onto the nearest one that was out of the enemy's line of sight. "Have you gotten into their systems?" Loki asked Stark over the communications devices.

"Yep. We're a go on that. I've got these three ready." Three of the empty sleds closest to Loki's location rose slightly, under the control of the machine entity called Jarvis.

"Excellent." A moment later images of Loki, in Æsir form wearing full Asgardian armor as was Loki himself now, appeared on the sleds. "I will only be able to control their speaking and to keep them connected with the sleds. You will have to steer them away from any incoming attacks. If an attack goes right through them, our hand is tipped," Loki instructed.

"Got it, Machiavelli; let's go hook us a Titan and reel that big fish in."

… …

"At last, a nickname I can tolerate," Loki told him, his voice approving.

Tony grinned behind his helmet. At least he wouldn't have to expect payback on that one. "I aim to please…speaking of aiming, should I concentrate on the leviathans? Sure, Bruce could take them down if they get through, but they'll do a hell of a lot of damage."

"Excellent; Thor, go after the individual sleds; draw lightning if you can, use Mjölnir otherwise. Rhodey…"

"Just follow me, my War Machine buddy, I'll teach you how to disembowel a leviathan, no ammo required."

Loki glowered at him. "I need him to stick with the sled I'm supposedly on to give better credence to the illusion. He's been fighting beside me all this time; even the Titan would find it strange for him to suddenly abandon me, or me him, as I'm crossing back to Midgard."

"You're no fun, Lokes. Rhodey, I'm transferring sled control to Junior then. Jarvis, can you…"

"Colonel Rhodes, I have overridden your rather handicapped AI and will be assisting you," Jarvis announced. "Your power levels are currently at three hundred percent, Colonel."

"Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about."

"Kind of low, Rocky Horror, you losing your touch?" Tony had to ask.

Thor gave him a stern look. "You were not all but powerless when I hit you, Man of Iron."

"Good point."

"If you are all done playing, shall we get on with it?" Loki asked, and man was he annoyed.

"Ready," Tony responded contritely.

"As am I," Thor agreed.

… …

"Call it, boss," Rhodey told him. Loki grinned. He'd gained the mortal's trust and allegiance, in this at least, with no coercion or lies. Definitely an achievement his family would be proud of.

"Let's go." Thor and Tony spilt off to the points were they would begin separating the Titan's army from their leader. "Move the first decoy out," he told Rhodey and Jarvis. If all went well, they wouldn't need the other two. The sled began to move out with his image at the controls, Rhodey shadowing it protectively. He clenched his jaw, trying not to worry; the mortal was the most vulnerable of them at this point, despite the power of his armor. Loki was counting on Thanos' obsession with him to keep the man relatively safe. He carefully allowed his consciousness to be reflected in his image, using a tendril of sorcerous power to see from the image's viewpoint.

"More toys for me to play with, Loki? How considerate a pet you are."

"Save yourself and your pitiful army and kneel to me now, Thanos. I have won." Loki put on his best condescending smile while Thanos roared with laughter. "You think I jest; well, you have ever underestimated me."

"You are a child, _Laufeyson_," the Titan said. Loki knew he used his birth patronymic to taunt him. Should he pretend to rise to the bait? Oh yes.

"As I told you; it's Odinson. The All-Father has confirmed to all that I am his son by adoption and that he has forgiven my mistakes."

"He lies to you, poor pitiful prince. Asgard will never accept a monster such as you in their Royal House. It was _his _doing that brought you here, back into my grasp. Had you not realized that?"

Loki knew quite well who the liar was. He was whole and strong and his senses easily picked out the untruth in Thanos' voice and demeanor. The first time the Titan had found him, he'd been so damaged by his time falling in the Void that he had not been able to discern the difference until it was far too late. "What?" he said, feigning acceptance of the lie. "No, that can't be! My mother assured me…"

"She is no more your mother than he is your father, foolish boy. How pathetic you are to cling to that notion. No one loves you, you are useless. Take your revenge upon them all!"

"Seriously? Does he really think you're going to fall for that garbage again?" Tony asked quietly over the comm.

Loki broke the vocal connection to his duplicate and made it seem to be leaning against the sled in anguished thought before responding to Stark and the others. "He has never experienced me healthy, Tony. The Titan plays at being omniscient, but is far from it. Were I still in the state I was when he first found me, I would be weak enough to, if not believe him, at least strongly doubt what I thought to be the truth."

"Gotcha," Tony said. "You gonna play along?"

"For a few moments more only. Then I will shatter his delusions and goad him into following _me_ through the bridge. Rhodey, make sure you are between the sled and the Titan, once you get well into the path, my image will disappear. He cannot be allowed to see that happen or he'll know it's a trick."

"I'll land on the sled behind your image to go through; there's no way he'd be able to see past my armor."

"Perfect."

… …

He glared at the agents that watched him suspiciously as he strode off of the plane they told him was called a 'Quinjet'. It was a piece of crap next to the Blackbird, but it got the job done, he figured. The pilot had told him that the Avengers had their own Quinjet that Stark Industries had retrofitted with a shitload of special systems with advanced capabilities. It probably still didn't measure up, but the pilot had sounded green with envy. Snorting at the thought he strode through the park to the group of really tall and bulky rejects from a Ren Faire who had to be the 'gods of Asgard' that waited near S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Fury. "You called for help?" he asked disinterestedly.

The man was dressed in black leather from bald head to toe, even his eye patch fit the theme. What an ass. The director looked him up and down, focusing a moment on the X-Men logo at his belt before nodded. "We did; I'm Director Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D., and you are?"

"The Wolverine, but I go by Logan until you piss me off."

"And is that easy to do, Logan?" Fury asked him.

Giving him a smirk, he nodded. "Few people don't manage it within the first ten minutes."

The lone eye narrowed and Fury's gaze flicked over the others standing close by. "Hellbringer, introduce yourself to Logan and bring him up to date. Take him around so that the Asgardians know he's with us. My people have been briefed already." The asshat turned on his heel and joined a couple of scientific types that were hovering over an array of equipment.

A striking redhead wearing gear reminiscent of the stuff the Asgardians were kitted out in, but with a more modern look to it, nodded and gestured to him to follow. "Kara Gunnarssen," she said, offering her hand. He stared at it, keeping his arms folded. "Oh, please, don't give me attitude. I'm really not in the mood."

She looked stressed as all hell. "Logan," he said, unfolding his arms and shaking her hand briefly. The woman had a strong grip. "Known as Wolverine."

"I've heard of you. If your team could only send one man, I'm glad they sent the strongest and most durable, we need all the help we can get."

Logan snorted again. "They sent me because I'm a liability in the fight they've got going. The renegade mutants giving them trouble are led by Magneto. You heard of him?"

"Power over magnetism, exponentially greater than even most electromagnets."

"Yeah. Adamantine is great stuff but it ain't immune to magnetism. If he got it into his head that I was better off on the disabled list, he could pull my skeleton inside out."

Her already creamy skin paled. "Ouch." She flushed at his disgusted look. "Sorry, that's an understatement, I know, but it's just my gut reaction…no pun intended."

Okay, that was better. This Kara Gunnarssen was sensitive, at least. "So, why do they call you Hellbringer?"

"To start with, I'm a pyrokinetic. If something is even marginally flammable I can not only set it on fire, but pretty much blow it up in, well, less than a minute now. If it's not marginally flammable it will take a bit longer."

Shit. "You can make stuff that doesn't burn, burn? Anything?"

"Almost anything on Earth, at any rate. We're really hoping I can do it to something not from Earth, but not counting on it. I haven't tried adamantine; it's too hard to get hold of a sample."

Small comfort. "So, why the armor?"

"I'm vulnerable otherwise. Well, kind of; not so much as I used to be before Odin married me to Loki." Oh shit. This was the chick in the news; the one that was on her way to becoming one of those…uh…He frowned at her. "Æsir is the word you're looking for," she told him.

"You a telepath, too?"

"Empath and healer."

"Ironic combination with the other stuff." She nodded. "So, your Asgardian god husband got snatched by an elf for some alien badass, huh?"

… …

James smiled grimly as the image on the sled straightened, its cheeks streaked by tears. He thought Loki might be overdoing it, but by the way the Titan's eyes glittered with what looked like glee, maybe not. "I will give you your revenge. All of Asgard will grovel at your feet, begging the one they showed none for mercy. Isn't that delicious?"

The tears stopped as though a faucet was turned off. "No, it's ludicrous. By Yggdrasill, I thought Thor was the worst liar in the universe, or maybe Captain Rogers. But no, it's you, there's no doubting it."

The Titan stared at Loki's image as his words sunk in. "You little worthless piece of flotsam!" he bellowed. "I will crush you; I will turn your blood to acid and your bones to dust!" Big and ugly was literally foaming at the mouth as he raised a hand and let loose with another energy blast.

James gritted his teeth and tried not to flinch. Sure enough, a green bubble of energy flared up around him and the sled 'ridden' by Loki's image. The god of Mischief laughed…mischievously, of course. "Oh, Thanos, you'll have to catch me first. You'll never reach Midgard, you'll never reach Asgard, and you'll never reclaim the Gauntlet!"

Over the comm Loki said "Now, head for the bridge. Rhodey, get ready to land on the back of the sled."

"Copy that."

"What?"

"Will do," he clarified. Damn, the guy was so good at strategy he'd forgotten he wouldn't know jargon. The sled, piloted by Jarvis, rocketed past his position. Catching up to it, he carefully positioned himself behind the image and held on. "Ready," he reported.

The image leaned to the side and looked back at the Titan, smirking. "Imagine that; I've made a fool of you yet again!" it yelled gleefully. The Titan roared in anger and began to follow, flanked by dozens of Chitauri sleds and several leviathans. The bulk of the army staggered behind them in orderly units. It might be easier to cut them off than they'd expected.

"All right, wait until my signal to start attacking the rest of the army. The Titan must be fully committed to crossing over the bridge before we do so or he'll turn back. Rhodey, give me a steady count. When your signal breaks off, we'll know when to attack."

"Got it. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…"

… …

"…eight, nine, ten, el…"

"That's it," Loki told them. "Now wait for it; the Titan was fifteen seconds behind Rhodey." Tony looked over at Thor. The blonde god was all but chomping at the bit. "Now!" Loki ordered.

"Hot damn, take that, you bastards," he crowed as he let loose on the nearest group of sleds. They broke away as several of them plummeted to the asteroid below. "Come to papa Tony," he said as one of the leviathans on their side of the bridge opened its huge maw.

"Stark, don't…" Loki's voice was cut off as he flew down the thing's gullet, grabbing everything he could reach on his way through. He punched out the other side and watched in satisfaction as it lost altitude and crashed. "You idiot! When we go, it will have to be immediately and you're out of touch when you're inside. Don't do that again!"

"Fine," he huffed and went back to taking out sleds. Thor used Mjölnir to take to the air and landed on the back of one sled. After throwing the occupants off, he piloted it in the path of a leviathan and set it to hover, then took up a stance and swung the hammer a lot like a homerun slugger swung a bat. The ensuing racket as he connected was earsplitting, or would have been if Jarvis hadn't buffered the decibel level for him automatically. "Homerun with bases loaded; nice shot, Beach Boy!" he called out as the half-living airship took out several sleds as it fell.

"Rogers explained baseball to me," Thor told him. "But he did not explain beach boys."

"Discuss it later," Loki told them from his covered position as he fired blast after blast of energy from his scepter. "Jarvis, send the other sleds into the mêlée to confuse our enemies. Tony, Thor, keep them from the vicinity of the bridge as much as you can. They can't enter it, but once they discover that they'll work all the harder to destroy us."

Tony risked a glance at the bridge. It looked the same to him. "J? Why can't they cross the bridge?"

"Prince Loki has shielded it to a degree. The power is registering on my sensors."

"Why isn't it green?" he wondered. "Open comm. Loki, why isn't the shield green?"

"I layered it with an illusion of the unshielded bridge."

"Genius."

"I know."

… …

"This is the Iron Patriot, can you read me?"

"This is Director Fury, go."

"The Mad Titan is coming through on my six; he's got some of his army with him. Thor, Iron Man and Loki are keeping the main part of it busy until they can sneak through behind him. Don't close the bridge until you hear from Iron Man. I repeat; do not close the bridge until you hear from Iron Man."

Fury looked up and saw the Iron Patriot burst through the bridge opening on a Chitauri sled. He briefly contemplated telling them to close the damn thing with the Titan still inside. Briefly. "You heard the man," he told Foster and Selvig.

"Wise decision, Director," the dark skinned god they'd introduced as Heimdall told him. Looking into those creepy golden eyes he came close to pissing himself.

… …


End file.
